Patrick Dumont
Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont in defending the Luka Doncic trade, via Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News:
“If you look at the greats in the league, the people you and I grew up with — [Michael] Jordan, [Larry] Bird, Kobe [Bryant], Shaq [O’Neal] — they worked really hard, every day, with a singular focus to win,” he said. “And if you don’t have that, it doesn’t work. And if you don’t have that, you shouldn’t be part of the Dallas Mavericks.
Shaq? Shaq?!
Shaq notoriously repeatedly slipped out of peak shape during his career, as the fun-loving center didn't let basketball absolutely consume him. He also led three teams to a championship, won another ring as a sidekick and played 19 years in the NBA.
The lesson of Shaq isn't that maniacal work ethic is necessary to be great. The lesson of Shaq is that generationally talented players merely must work hard enough.
Maybe Doncic wouldn't have met that lower bar with the Mavericks, but that is the real bar for players like him.
A better example than Shaq of the importance of focus and discipline? Dirk Nowitzki. Dumont didn't have to name Nowitzki, but Nowitzki remains beloved in Dallas – where, you know, Dumont owns the team. Dumont omitting Nowitzki – especially for Shaq – really shows the owner's disconnect from the Mavericks' fan base.
Pat Riley-Jimmy Butler
Jimmy Butler found Pat Riley "unhinged and disturbing" in a two-hour meeting a month ago in which Riley repeatedly referenced Butler's recently deceased father, offered “unsolicited and unwanted” parenting advice, cried and ultimately told Butler he loved him, sources close to Butler told James Jackson, Sam Amick and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic . Riley remained calm and didn't offer parenting advice, but became emotional when discussing Butler's father, according to The Athletic's sources closer to the Heat.
Riley tried giving Butler preferential treatment outside the Heat's cultural norms. Riley tried calling out Butler publicly. Riley tried pulling back Butler's special privileges.
I can see Riley – who has employed so many motivation tactics over the years – trying opening up and being vulnerable in an attempt to connect with Butler.
But Butler didn't want that.
He has made clear throughout his career what he wants: To be maximally valued. In this case, that meant a contract extension. The Heat couldn't appease Butler without putting their money behind a contract extension.
Jimmy Butler-Heat
Jimmy Butler was unhinged in his meeting with Heat owner Micky Arison, according to Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.
The finger-pointing in this saga is something to behold.
Both the ESPN and The Athletic articles are interesting, detailed looks into Butler's prolonged exit from Miami. Both sets of reporters do a good job telling you what each side is saying – even when it's contradictory.
Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid needs another knee surgery and lengthy recovery period at some point, he told Lisa Salters of ESPN.
The 76ers are 20-32 and 11th in the East. Embiid has played just 16 games all season. He hasn't looked like a superstar, even when on the court.
The obvious question: Why doesn't Embiid just undergo the surgery now?
The sub-questions are more complicated:
What is Embiid's risk of exacerbating his problems by playing? How long will he need to recover from the surgery? If he waits until the offseason, will that derail Philadelphia next season, too?
Is Embiid's health just trending downward? In other words, is Embiid gutting out this season – as poorly as it's going – a better bet of producing success than he'd have in any future season? Embiid told Salters he believes the knee will eventually no longer be a chronic issue for him, for what it's worth.
Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis will miss multiple weeks-a month with a left adductor strain, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
When Dallas made the trade, Luka Doncic was hurt and Davis was healthy. But those conditions were so inconsequential to the players' actual availability going forward. The Mavericks really traded a 25-year-old superstar for a 31-year-old with a long history of durability issues.
No, Davis' latest setback wasn't inevitable.
It just felt that way.
My picks for All-Star injury replacement:
- Preference: Luka Doncic
- Prediction: Domantas Sabonis
Davis must return by March 1 (i.e., within three weeks) to have a chance at major-award eligibility, and if he takes that long, he'd have to play all 22 of Dallas' remaining games.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo will also miss the All-Star game (and Milwaukee's two preceding games before the break) with a mild calf strain, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
My picks for All-Star injury replacement:
- Preference: Tyrese Haliburton
- Prediction: Tyrese Haliburton
Antetokounmpo must play 24 of 29 games after the All-Star break to be eligible for major awards. Barely missing the requirement but otherwise being deserving would be a depressing reason for snapping the NBA's longest active streak of All-NBA first teams (six years).
Mark Williams
The Lakers-Hornets Mark Williams trade is the first voided trade since the Pistons sent Bol Bol back to Denver in 2022.
Every trade voided due to a failed physical since the NBA-ABA merger I could find:
- 2025: Mark Williams (CHA ← LAL)
- 2022: Bol Bol (DEN ← DET)
- 2016: Donatas Motiejunas (HOU ← DET)
- 2009: Tyson Chandler (NOH ← OKC)
- 2006: Steven Hunter (PHI ← NOH)
- 2005: Shareef Abdur-Rahim (POR ← NJN)*
- 2002: Mateen Cleaves (SAC ← CLE)
- 2000: Alvin Williams (TOR ← BOS)
- 1998: Rony Seikaly (ORL ← UTA)**
- 1997: Dino Radja (BOS ← PHI)
- 1995: Victor Alexander (TOR ← CLE)
- 1994: Duane Causwell (SAC ← DET)
- 1994: Sean Elliott (DET ← HOU)
- 1992: Greg Kite (ORL ← HOU)
- 1987: Keith Lee (CLE ← POR)
- 1980: John Shumate (SAS ← SEA)***
*Sign-and-trade, so became a free agent upon his failed physical and instead signed with the Kings
**Seikaly didn't report to Utah in the required 48 hours. The Jazz claim that's why they voided the trade. Seikaly claimed the Jazz nixed the trade upon learning the severity of the foot injury that was sidelining him.
***Shumate played two games for the Sonics before they deemed his physical failed and sent him back to San Antonio.
Dunc'd On Live
Hollinger & Duncan Live
Watch Nate and John making facial reactions to the Luka Doncic trade and give trade-deadline superlatives:
Tee Morant
Referees had Ja Morant's father ejected from the Grizzlies' loss to the Thunder on Saturday. Crew Chief Josh Tiven said Tee Morant was ejected for "very specific, overtly disrespectful comments made about the integrity of the crew."
Reset your "days since Ja Morant drama" counters.
-Dan Feldman