Slovenia NT Medical Staff to Evaluate Mavericks' Luka Doncic for Greece Olympic Qualifier

Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic will undergo evaluation by the Slovenian national team medical staff to determine his status for the pre-Olympic qualifying tournament in Greece.

Jun 14, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) dribbles against -Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) during the first half of game four of the 2024 NBA Finals at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

DALLAS — After completing an NBA Finals run, Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic returned to Slovenia before the national team began participating in the pre-Olympic qualifying tournament in Greece starting on July 2 with a matchup against Croatia.

Doncic played through various injuries during the Mavericks' postseason run, raising questions about his outlook to compete for his national team this summer. Between a right knee sprain that he dealt with since the first round of the playoffs, left ankle soreness that started in the Western Conference semifinals, and a thoracic contusion requiring pain-killing injections that occurred midway through the Finals, the list of injuries became lengthy for the superstar guard.

Jun 14, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) dribbles against -Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) during the first half of game four of the 2024 NBA Finals at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Slovenian national team medical staff will evaluate Doncic's knee to determine whether he can participate in the pre-Olympic qualifier. Meanwhile, the team will compete in Lithuania for the first two exhibition games in a home-home setting, with the second matchup played in Ljubljana

Before Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Doncic discussed his potential status competing for Slovenia as dependent on his knee’s condition. “Yeah, I think we’ll see how my knee is. But if it’s good, I’m going to go play, yeah,” he had said.

The Mavericks organization expects Doncic to play for his national team any chance he gets if he's healthy enough to do so. “That’s probably one of his biggest joys," Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison said. "As long as he can walk, he’s probably going to play for them. That’s my expectation.”

Less than a half-hour after losing Game 5 of the Finals at TD Garden, Doncic wasn't ready to discuss his plans to compete with the national team. He said, “I don’t want to talk about what’s next, man. I have some decisions to make. I’m just trying to get a little bit healthier... We have interviews in two days, right? So I’ll give you an answer then.” While he anticipated exit interviews in Dallas, the Mavericks did not hold any for players.

It was a less optimistic-sounding answer than the one Doncic gave reporters before Game 1 of the Finals, mentioning he would play for Slovenia if his right knee were in sufficient condition. He said, “Yeah, I think we’ll see how my knee is. But if it’s good, I’m going to go play, yeah."

Doncic is coming off a long NBA season, but it remains a priority for him to compete for his national team when possible. Given how successful the Mavericks' postseason run proved to be, questions are raised about a player's ability to end a long season and start competing again with limited time off.

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