The Dallas Mavericks had an abrupt change of plans during their bizarre final week of what Luka Doncic described as “a very disappointing season.” After declaring he’d play as long as the Mavs had even the slimmest of postseason hopes, the franchise announced Doncic would sit out after playing the first quarter in Friday night’s home game against the Chicago Bulls, joining co-star Kyrie Irving and four other healthy core players on the bench. However, the decision didn’t go down well with the fans, and the Mavs lost the game. The Mavericks now stand alone with the 10th-best odds in the lottery standings, which is critically important as they owe the New York Knicks a top-10-protected pick as the final payment for the Kristaps Porzingis trade.

As the Mavericks’ season comes to an end, they will face the difficult task of retaining key players like Kyrie Irving and making improvements to build a stronger team for next season. But the season’s disappointment also brings a sense of urgency within the organization to make significant progress before Luka Doncic loses faith in their ability to build a contender around him. The team’s management will need to carefully navigate this challenging offseason and find a way to get the Mavericks back on track.