The NBA world is still recovering from the shock of the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks. The deal, which was initially assumed to be a prank, has been endlessly criticized.
Mavs general manager Nico Harrison has reportedly received death threats and requires around-the-clock security at his home. Why would the Mavericks trade a 25-year-old generational talent who insists he wasn’t planning to test free agency?
Why Did Nico Harrison Trade Luka Dončić?
While no explanation is a suitable justification for this trade or how it was handled — specifically the fact that Harrison only negotiated with the Lakers rather than making Dončić available to every team — those involved have tried to explain the move.
There have been reports that the Mavericks were frustrated with Dončić’s conditioning, work ethic, and defense.
This lines up with what Harrison said during his press conference following the trade when he insisted that “defense wins championships” and hinted that the Mavs’ culture improved as a result of this trade.
Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont pointed to Dončić’s work ethic and focus when explaining the move to The Dallas Morning News.
“If you look at the greats in the league, the people you and I grew up with — [Michael] Jordan, [Larry] Bird, Kobe [Bryant], Shaq [O’Neal] — they worked really hard, every day, with a singular focus to win,” Dumont said.
“And if you don’t have that, it doesn’t work. And if you don’t have that, you shouldn’t be part of the Dallas Mavericks. That’s who we want. I’m unwavering on this. The entire organization knows this. This is how I operate outside of basketball. This is the only way to be competitive and win. If you want to take a vacation, don’t do it with us.”
Harrison also mentioned Dončić’s contract as a factor, as he was due for a super-max extension in the near future.
“There are some unique things about his contract that we had to pay attention to. There are other teams that were loading up that he was going to be able to decide and make his own decision at some point of whether he wants to be here or not, whether we want to supermax him or not, or whether he wants to opt-out,” Harrison told reporters.
“So I think we had to take all that into consideration and feel like we got out in front of what could have been a tumultuous summer.”
MORE: Ranking the Worst Trades in NBA History
However, Dončić responded to this during his introductory press conference with the Lakers, insisting that he wasn’t planning on leaving Dallas and that he would have signed a super-max extension to remain with the Mavs.
Some in NBA circles have wondered if ownership forced Harrison’s hand with this trade. Did Dumont call the shots on this move and use Harrison as a scapegoat? Former Chicago Bulls point guard and current NBA agent B.J. Armstrong believes this whole situation screams owner-to-owner trade.
“That’s an owner-to-owner deal. Trust me on that,” Armstrong said, speaking on the organizations’ owners, called governors in the NBA. “If the owner says they wanna make the deal, you gotta do your job. And if the owner wants to do that, what are you gonna do? This had nothing to do with the GMs or the presidents or whatever the titles are.
“How do I know it’s an owner-to-owner deal? It happened in the middle of the night, on a Saturday. No one can talk about it tomorrow on all the talk shows. Someone knew about it, so I’m not sitting here acting like the GM made this call. No! Come on. You’re gonna do that? Someone knew. The someone are the owners — one owner to another owner.
“We live in the age of information, right? And no one heard about it? No one heard about this? The owners felt it was good business for them for whatever the reason may be, and it’s done. Let’s play basketball. That’s what I wanna see.”
To Armstrong’s point, a typical deal involves many different executives in multiple front offices, which is why details typically leak to the media before the trade announcement. The fact that this trade stayed under wraps until it was finalized suggests that very few people were involved in the negotiations.
Reports have surfaced that Harrison doesn’t intend to stay in his GM role much longer, raising even more questions about how this trade came together. Is he moving on because ownership is calling the shots? If his hand wasn’t forced, did he make this short-sighted trade because he knew he wouldn’t be around after the next few years?
"There has been belief, which multiple team and league sources expressed to me over the past months long before this trade, that Harrison does not have a long-term desire to remain in his current role as general manager."
Seems like a pertinent thing for an owner to know! https://t.co/rJWPbpuJI2
— Mike Piellucci (@mikelikessports) February 4, 2025
It makes no sense to trade a 25-year-old superstar for a nearly 32-year-old big man without securing multiple first-round picks and prospects in return. Now, with the news that Harrison might not be in Dallas for the long haul, is it possible that he was prioritizing his own window rather than what’s best for the Mavericks long-term? It’s worth noting that Harrison is very close with Davis from his days at Nike, and he also has a strong bond with Pelinka.
The fact that Harrison isn’t planning to remain in his current role also reframes a quote from his press conference: “The future to me is 3-4 years from now. The future 10 years from now … they’ll probably bury me and [Jason Kidd] by then. Or we’ll bury ourselves.”
There is also a report that the Lakers were initially supposed to send multiple first-round picks and rookie Dalton Knecht to the Mavericks, but the Lakers’ Rob Pelinka was able to convince Harrison that trading for Dončić came with “a lot of risk” given his “drinking” and “weight problem.”
The fact that Harrison didn’t pick up the phone to call any other executives about Dončić to see what they would offer (or at least gain some leverage to force the Lakers to improve their package) is arguably a fireable offense.
At the end of the day, we may never find out exactly what went on behind the scenes that led to this stunning trade. As people try to grasp for answers, there are theories, but it’s also possible that Dallas just greatly undervalued Dončić and overvalued Davis.
