The Dallas Mavericks are facing a summer which gives them plenty of opportunities, via free agency and the draft, to continue their rebuild, which will be centered around superstar guard Luka Doncic and late-season addition Kristaps Porzingis.

There are also plans to continue to develop Doncic, who is a contender for NBA Rookie of the Year honors.

“Well, there will be a period of rest now” Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle said, according to the Dallas Morning News. “He’ll be back in Dallas for a week in May and a week in June with our other young guys to do a developmental week twice. And I’m going to go to Slovenia at a certain point – I don’t want to advertise when it is because I don’t want it to be a media circus – to get in the gym with him along with one of our other staff guys.”

Carlisle pointed out the importance of balancing rest and hard work in regards to the summer.

“Look, we’ve got to set the tone for the importance of this summer for him. It’s got to be the right amount of rest, and the right amount of hard work. He hasn’t had this long an offseason in any time in recent years. All the EuroLeague stuff has been going well into June, and he’s always been on one of the good teams. And so every day is going to be a day where he’s got to decide – what is it today? What is it today to move to tomorrow and keep getting better?”

“If he approaches this summer the way that I believe he’s going to, he’s going to have a chance to keep moving his career upward and upward and upward.”

Following a strong outing against the Phoenix Suns at home, future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki announced that he is retiring, ending his 21 year NBA career, all spent playing with the Dallas Mavericks.

According to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News, Nowitzki will enter retirement following the conclusion of the regular season.

Nowitzki, 40, will be a sure Hall of Famer and led the Mavericks to an NBA Championship back in 2011 when they memorably defeated a loaded Miami Heat team comprised of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh.

Dallas Mavericks guard Tim Hardaway Jr. knows what it’s like to be traded as he was recently dealt, for the second time, from the New York Knicks to the Mavericks as part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade from a few weeks back.

“Yeah, it’s mind-blowing and it’s kind of weird when you go back to a team and they trade you again” Hardaway said, according to the New York Daily News’ Stefan Bondy.

“So it’s weird but at the same time you have to move forward.”

Hardaway was draft by the Knicks back in 2013, and was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in 2015, but would return to the Knicks in 2017 via a four-year, $71 million deal.

Hardaway remained on the Knicks until the aforementioned trade went down, sending him packing yet again.