Dallas Mavericks lose second primetime ESPN NBA slot after Luka Doncic trade; Bucks faceoff pushed to 7 PM start

The Dallas Mavericks are set to lose another primetime game slot on ESPN following their shocking Luka Doncic trade.

Dallas Mavericks lose second primetime ESPN NBA slot after Luka Doncic trade; Bucks faceoff pushed to 7 PM start

Dallas Mavericks continue to lose out on media coverage after Luka Doncic trade

The fallout from the Luka Doncic trade continues to impact the Dallas Mavericks. This time, it’s hitting their national TV schedule. ESPN announced Wednesday that they were dropping the Milwaukee Bucks vs. Dallas Mavericks game on March 5th from their primetime slot. The game, originally set for 8:30 PM local time during primetime, will now tip off at 7:00 PM in Dallas on League Pass and local providers.

The game was set to be a showcase between two of the league’s top talents, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic. This is what earned the game its initial marquee timeslot. However, after the Mavericks’ decision to move on from Doncic and the injury concerns surrounding Antetokounmpo, the network decided to move on from their coverage of the game towards bigger matchups instead.

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Following their decision to flex the game, ESPN has opted to air the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies game instead. It is a more thrilling matchup between the top two seeds in the Western Conference. This marks the third time since 2nd February, the day Doncic was traded, that a nationally televised Mavericks game gets removed from the schedule, and the second such game on ESPN.

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The first instance came immediately after the All-Star break, when ESPN pulled the Mavs’ matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans from national coverage. Then, TNT flexed out of the March 25th showdown between Dallas and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. With the latest schedule change, the post-Luka Doncic era in Dallas seems to be losing its appeal to national audiences.

Luka Doncic was unbothered by Nico Harrison’s presence at Lakers-Mavs game

Luka Doncic made his highly anticipated first appearance against the Mavericks on Tuesday night, and he didn’t disappoint. The five-time All-Star recorded his first triple-double in a Lakers uniform while setting some records and leading his new team to a 107-99 victory over Dallas. While the game carried obvious emotional weight, Doncic’s focus remained on the floor, regardless of who was watching.

Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison was in attendance for the game, seated near the Mavericks’ bench. Given the recent drama surrounding Doncic’s departure, Harrison’s presence next to the player he traded and subsequently maligned was notable. But when asked if he noticed his former GM in the arena, Doncic shrugged it off. “I didn’t see him in warmups,” Doncic said postgame.

It is a short and to the point response, fitting for a player who has tried to move on from the turbulence in Dallas. While it may take some time for Doncic to get real closure after the abrupt end to his tenure in a Mavericks uniform, he certainly isn’t letting the man behind the decision get to him. As for Harrison, multiple videos surfaced before tip-off showing him observing Doncic’s pre-game warmups.

Guilty conscience? Unlikely so, but at the very least, Harrison must have been made aware of Doncic’s general disdain for him with his unbothered and noticeably non-descriptive responses to any questions about Harrison. This would be especially true given the reportage by the Mavs front office following the trade, which painted a wildly concerning image of Luka Doncic’s conditioning and off-court issues.