Just under two and a half months after the controversial trade of Luka Doncic to the Lakers, Mavericks GM Nico Harrison has spoken out again. At his end-of-season press conference, he admitted to underestimating the fans’ emotional attachment to Doncic – but still stands behind the deal.
“I knew Luka was important to the fans, but I didn’t know to what extent,” Nico Harrison said Monday in Dallas. The Mavericks general manager still believes trading Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis was the right move, but admitted he misjudged the intensity of the reaction from the community.
Since the deal that sent Dallas’ longtime franchise player to Los Angeles, fans have repeatedly called for Harrison’s resignation. The 52-year-old now emphasized that he had expected criticism but assumed that the situation would calm down once Davis was on the court alongside Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, and Dereck Lively II. However, this constellation did not materialize: Davis was injured in his debut, and Irving later tore his ACL. In the meantime, the team was barely able to field a minimum number of players.
Harrison agrees with Doncic: “I just want to keep going.”
After a mixed season, the Mavs still finished tenth in the West, won a play-in game in Sacramento, but were then eliminated by Memphis. Harrison still sees the core of the squad as title-worthy – provided the team stays healthy: “We believe we can compete for the championship with this group. And we’re assuming Kyrie will be back next season.”
Harrison was cautious in his comments about Doncic himself. After the Slovenian said in an ESPN interview that he found Harrison’s repeated statements “sad,” the GM said, “I feel the same way. I’ve never spoken badly about Luka — and I just want to move forward with the team we have.”
Regarding the draft, Harrison announced that he intends to use the eleventh pick or make changes during free agency.
