As Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison continues to be on the hot seat following the Luka Dončić for Anthony Davis trade, more developments have been revealed about his process when completing the trade and what went down behind the scenes. A new report revealed that the Mavs GM had conversations with two different teams before accepting the Los Angeles Lakers’ offer for their 25-year-old superstar.
Mavericks Initially Tried To Trade Luka Dončić to Bucks, Timberwolves
Harrison made an overture to both the Milwaukee Bucks and Minnesota Timberwolves about swapping stars, according to Gery Woelfel. The actual framework of the potential deal is unknown, but the Mavericks reached out to inquire about Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Edwards before ultimately settling for Anthony Davis.
Despite the rumblings of Antetokounmpo’s uncertain future in Milwaukee, Wisc., the Bucks were not interested in making the trade.
This is an interesting development, as Harrison said during his press conference that he only spoke to the Lakers and didn’t shop Dončić around to other teams. Multiple executives also expressed their frustration that they never knew that the Mavs’ generational talent was available. However, this sheds new light on Harrison’s process.
ClutchPoints reporter Kris Pursiainen believes Harrison framed the talks this way because he didn’t want it to seem like he settled for a lesser package.
“Nico Harrison publicly stated yesterday that there were no conversations with other teams,” Pursiainen wrote. “My read on the situation is that Harrison is aware that there is going to be vitriol regardless, and informing the world that the return for Dončić wasn’t his top choice served little purpose.”
It also calls into question how shocking it is that trade talks like this managed to not leak out into the press. The Dončić-Milwaukee fit would have been more ideal than the fit in Minnesota, as the pairing of Dončić and Damian Lillard in the backcourt might cause nightmares for defenses around the league.
While the Mavericks’ front office seems satisfied with the trade they completed (even if the fans aren’t), this provides some “What if?” scenarios for all of the involved fan bases. If Antetokounmpo had been traded to the Mavericks, the fanbase would likely have been a bit more excited and optimistic about the move than they were about the Davis trade.
Antetokounmpo has a case for being the best player in the league at the moment, and he would be a great complement to the Mavs’ current roster construction. Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson would be great fits next to Antetokounmpo, just as Dončić would be a great fit next to Lillard and Kyle Kuzma on offense.
The issue for the new-look Bucks would have been defense, as Antetokounmpo has been their defensive anchor for the duration of his time there, which explains why they were not interested in the swap.
Dončić and the Lakers seem to be a match made in heaven, with the Mavericks currently in limbo as the status of Davis’ adductor strain leaves them with more questions than answers on his availability this season. With such an uncertain future, the Mavericks and their fans wonder what could have been if the Wolves or Bucks decided to bite on the trade offer.
