When the common consensus from fans and players alike about your trade is that it is fake news or the account was hacked, that probably means it wasn’t the best decision. But that was exactly the case when the NBA world received one of its most shocking trade updates ever, as Luka Dončić was shipped to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis.
After the initial disbelief settled down, most believed that it had to come from Dončić demanding a trade, wanting to go to a bigger market in LA. However, when news came that the decision was the brainchild of Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, it left everyone even more confused. As more details started to emerge, Harrison broke down his side of the story for all to hear.
Nico Harrison Reveals Reasoning for Luka Dončić Trade
In a tell-all interview with the Dallas Morning News, Harrison revealed that getting ahead of the curve was the best-case way to deal with it.
“We really feel like we got ahead of what was going to be a tumultuous summer, him being eligible for the supermax and also a year away from him being able to opt out of any contract.
“And so we really felt like we got out in front of that. We know teams, they’ve had it out there, teams have been loading up to try to sign him once that comes available.”
For Harrison, the decision was a smart one that was ultimately going to put the Mavericks in a position to win both in the short and the long term.
“But I do believe that we positioned ourselves to win now and also win in the future. And that’s ultimately the goal and why we’re here. It’s one of those things where it’s my job to make the tough decisions that put our goals first and foremost.”
One of the biggest reasons for his belief was the culture that the Mavs were trying to build. While he didn’t directly indict Dončić’s name, it was clear that the Slovenian was who he was referring to when he said:
“There are levels to it, and there are people that fit the culture, and there are people that come in and add to the culture. Those are two distinct things, and I believe the people that are coming in are adding to the culture.”
In particular, Harrison spoke about the defense that both he and head coach Jason Kidd were trying to build.
“We really feel that defense wins championships, and we think the players that we’re bringing in add to the culture, which is important to what J-Kidd and I have been building here from Day 1. And then obviously, when you get an all-NBA player who’s also a first-team All-Defensive player, we think that’s gonna help us where we need it the most, on the defensive end.”
However, some of Harrison’s comments fell short when looking at recent history. First and foremost, Dončić had been very outspoken about his love for Dallas and the franchise. The fans had accepted him as one of their own, as he’d paved the way for five all-star and All-NBA selections.
Dončić also led Dallas to Western Conference Final and NBA Finals appearances in his short while, both firsts for the franchise since 2011.
While individually not excellent on defense, Dončić was the leader of last year’s Dallas team that went to the Finals on the back of a top-five NBA defense. Even though Harrison has given his reasons, some of them fall a little flat when analyzing deeper.
It remains to be seen how the trade eventually shakes out for both squads. But to begin with, it looks like the Mavericks are coming out on the wrong end.
