Five Mavericks players scatter across the globe this week
Even as the Dallas Mavericks' season closed in playoff defeat, five of its players found no pause in the rhythm of competition — instead turning immediately toward something older and larger than any franchise: the call of national pride. From Belgrade to Victoria to Kaunas, these men will carry their countries' Olympic hopes across a single defining week, where the line between a summer rest and a Tokyo stage is drawn by a single tournament victory.
- The Mavericks' playoff exit barely cooled before five of its players were summoned to represent Slovenia, Canada, Serbia, Italy, and Puerto Rico in do-or-die Olympic qualifying tournaments.
- The stakes are absolute — only the winner of each tournament earns a berth to the Tokyo Olympics, leaving no margin for error across just a handful of games.
- A remarkable collision looms in Belgrade, where Boban Marjanovic, Nicolo Melli, and J.J. Barea — teammates in Dallas — will compete against one another for the same single Olympic spot.
- Pool play runs June 29 through July 1, compressing months of national ambition into a sprint toward semifinals and championship matches on July 3 and 4.
- All games stream on ESPN+, giving Mavericks fans an immediate bridge from the NBA postseason to the global stage where their players now carry entire nations on their backs.
The Mavericks' season ended in a Game 7 loss to the Clippers, but for five players on the roster, there is no true offseason. Within days of elimination, they dispersed across the globe to compete in FIBA's Olympic qualifying tournaments — high-stakes events that will award the final national berths at the Tokyo Olympics.
Luka Doncic leads Slovenia in Kaunas, Lithuania, opening against Angola and Poland before a potential semifinal and championship run on July 3 and 4. Dwight Powell joins Canada in Victoria, where the team faces Greece and China in pool play, with the same knockout schedule awaiting if they advance.
The most charged drama unfolds in Belgrade, where Serbia's Boban Marjanovic, Italy's Nicolo Melli, and Puerto Rico's J.J. Barea — all Mavericks teammates — find themselves in the same tournament bracket, competing for a single Olympic berth. Marjanovic's Serbia opens against the Dominican Republic and the Philippines. Melli's Italy and Barea's Puerto Rico are also pooled together, meaning the two could eliminate one another before the semifinals even arrive.
All five tournaments follow the same structure: pool play through July 1, semifinals on July 3, and a championship on July 4. Every game streams on ESPN+. For these five men, the coming week is both a homecoming and a final reckoning — one last chance to carry their nations to Tokyo before the NBA offseason finally, truly begins.
The Dallas Mavericks' season ended in heartbreak last week when the team fell to the Los Angeles Clippers in a Game 7 playoff elimination. But for five players on the roster, the basketball calendar offers no real offseason. This week, they scatter across the globe to represent their home countries in FIBA's Olympic qualifying tournaments—a series of high-stakes competitions that will determine which nations earn the final spots at the Tokyo Olympics.
Luka Doncic leads the charge for Slovenia, which will compete in Kaunas, Lithuania. The Mavericks' star will face Angola on June 30 and Poland on July 1, both games starting at 8:20 a.m. Central Time. If Slovenia advances out of pool play—finishing first or second in their group—Doncic will play a semifinal on July 3, with a potential championship game on July 4 at 11:20 a.m. The tournament also includes Korea, Venezuela, and Lithuania alongside the two pool opponents.
Dwight Powell carries Canada's hopes in Victoria, Canada, where the team opens against Greece on June 29 at 6:05 p.m. Central and faces China the following day at the same time. Canada's pool also includes Czech Republic, Turkey, and Uruguay. Should Powell's team advance, the semifinal comes July 3 in the evening hours, with a championship matchup potentially scheduled for July 4 at 5:55 p.m.
Boban Marjanovic returns home to Belgrade, Serbia, where his country will take on the Dominican Republic on June 29 at 1:05 p.m. and the Philippines on June 30 at the same time. Serbia's bracket includes Italy, Senegal, and Puerto Rico—meaning Marjanovic could face two of his current teammates. The Belgrade tournament's semifinals and championship follow the same July 3-4 schedule as the others.
Nicolo Melli and J.J. Barea, the latter a former Mavericks champion, find themselves in that same Belgrade pool. Melli's Italy opens against Senegal on June 30 at 9:50 a.m. and Puerto Rico on July 1. Barea's Puerto Rico squad starts with Senegal on June 29 at 9:50 a.m., then faces Italy two days later. Both players will compete for the same Olympic berth, meaning one of them could be eliminated by the other before the tournament ends.
All five tournaments follow an identical structure: pool play determines which teams advance to semifinals on July 3, with the championship match on July 4. Winners of those championship games secure their nation's passage to the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics. Every game will stream on ESPN+, allowing fans to follow their Mavericks players as they compete at the international level. For these five men, the next week represents both a chance to represent their countries on the Olympic stage and a final push before the NBA's offseason truly begins.
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does this matter to Mavericks fans right now, when the season just ended?
Because these are your team's best players, and they're not resting. Doncic especially—he's going straight from a playoff loss into international competition. It's a reminder that the NBA season is just one part of the calendar for elite players.
So if Doncic wins the championship in Lithuania, he goes to the Olympics?
Exactly. That's the whole point of these tournaments. They're the final qualifying events. Win the championship, your country gets a spot in Tokyo.
What happens if, say, Melli and Barea both make it to the final in Belgrade?
Then they play each other for the Olympic berth. One goes to Tokyo, one goes home. It's a strange position to be in—teammates competing directly.
Are these games easy to watch?
All on ESPN+. Early morning times for most of them, especially the Slovenia games. But they're accessible if you want to follow along.
How long does this whole thing take?
Pool play is June 29 through July 1. Then semifinals and finals on July 3 and 4. So it's compressed—a week, essentially, to determine who goes to the Olympics.
And then what? Do these players get a break before next season?
Not much of one. The Olympics are in July and August. So if they win, they're playing through the summer. If they lose early, they get a few weeks. Either way, it's a grind.