Nico Harrison

Mavs Reportedly Never Intended To Offer Luka Doncic Super-Max

February 17th, 2025 at 2:05pm CST by Luke Adams

When word broke two weekends ago that the Mavericks were trading Luka Doncic to the Lakers, one theory quickly emerged — perhaps Dallas had learned Doncic would hesitate to sign the five-year super-max extension (worth a projected $345MM) that he would’ve been eligible to receive during the 2025 offseason.

Asked about that theory during his introductory press conference as a Laker, Doncic said he had “absolutely not” given the Mavericks any reason to believe he wouldn’t accept such an offer. Agent Bill Duffy echoed that message and said he’d expected to discuss a potential super-max deal with the team this summer.

Based on all that’s been reported in the past two weeks, it seems as if any hesitation over the super-max was on the Mavericks’ side, not Doncic’s. Christian Clark, Mike Vorkunov, and Fred Katz of The Athletic confirm as much within an in-depth feature on Dallas general manager Nico Harrison, reporting that Harrison and the Mavs were “never going to offer” Doncic that record-setting super-max contract.

We’ve seen potential super-max eligibility factor into teams’ decision to trade players in the past, but that typically occurred in instances where a club was concerned about having to pay big money to retain a second- or third-tier star — the Kings traded away DeMarcus Cousins in 2017 after consecutive All-NBA Second Team seasons, for example, rather than hanging onto him and having to make a decision on a super-max extension offer during the following offseason.

Doncic, on the other hand, has five consecutive All-NBA First Team nods under his belt and finished third in the MVP voting last season. Super-max contracts – which allow a player to earn a salary worth 35% of the cap before he has reached the required threshold of 10 years of NBA experience – were designed to reward superstars like Doncic and to put their teams in a better position to hang onto them.

But, as has been reported ad nauseam since word of the blockbuster trade broke, the Mavericks were concerned about making that sort of financial commitment to Doncic due to concerns about his injury history and work ethic. According to Clark, Vorkunov, and Katz, Harrison was worried about the possibility that Doncic’s body would “break down possibly sooner than anyone would suspect.”

If the Mavs had retained Doncic and declined to make him a super-max offer in the offseason, would he have been willing to accept something below the 35% max or would he have balked and looked to join a team that valued him higher? We don’t know for sure, but that uncertainty explains why Harrison said shortly after making the deal that he believes he and the Mavs avoided a “tumultuous” summer by trading Doncic when they did.

“There’s some unique things about his contract that we had to pay attention to,” Harrison said at the time. “There’s other teams that were loading up that he was going to be able to decide, make his own decision at some point of whether he wants to be here or not. Whether we want to super-max him or not, or whether he wants to opt out. So, I think we had to take all that into consideration, and I feel like we got out in front of what could have been a tumultuous summer.”

Harrison hasn’t spoken to the media since Doncic’s introductory presser as a Laker, so reporters haven’t had an opportunity to ask him about Luka’s comments on a potential super-max deal.

Doncic is no longer eligible for a super-max contract this summer with the Lakers as a result of being traded.

Luka Doncic Discusses ‘Special’ Lakers Debut

February 11th, 2025 at 7:59am CST by Luke Adams

Playing for the first time since suffering a left calf strain on Christmas Day, Luka Doncic made his Lakers debut on Monday, helping to guide the team to a comfortable 132-113 victory over Utah. It wasn’t the best game of Doncic’s career – he had just 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting in 24 minutes – but he told reporters after the victory that it was a “special” one, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

“The way they received me, everybody, it was amazing to see,” Doncic said. “I was a little bit nervous before. I don’t remember the last time I was nervous before the game. But once I stepped on the court, it was fun. And just being out there again felt amazing.”

As Buha and Dave McMenamin of ESPN write, the Lakers went out of their way to make their newest addition comfortable in his debut. Every fan in attendance received a Doncic t-shirt jersey, the Lakers played Serbian music during pregame warmups (a staple during Doncic’s days in Dallas), and he was the last Lakers starter introduced, temporarily taking the spot typically reserved for LeBron James.

In a pregame huddle captured on ESPN’s broadcast, James told Doncic, “Luka, be your f—ing self. Don’t fit in, fit the f— out. Be yourself.” Doncic said it felt “amazing” to hear that and added that the speech gave him “chills.”

“I didn’t play in a long time, first of all,” Doncic said. “It’s a new team. New everything. But like the way they helped me, teammates, (general manager) Rob (Pelinka), (owner) Jeanie (Buss), it was just a lot of support for me. You could see when I came to the arena, I saw all the Luka jerseys. It was just a surreal feeling.”

The Lakers’ victory, their sixth in a row and 10th in 11 games, moved them into fourth place in the Western Conference standings.

Meanwhile, in Dallas, the Mavericks lost for the 15th time in their last 23 games and are now clinging to a play-in spot, just one game ahead of the 11th-seeded Suns. As Tim MacMahon of ESPN details, multiple Mavericks fans – upset about the trade that sent Doncic to Los Angeles in a package headlined by Anthony Davis – were ejected in the second half of a one-point overtime loss to Sacramento and team governor Patrick Dumont was loudly booed by fans.

At one point in the game, former Mavs majority owner and current minority stakeholder Mark Cuban yelled at two fans to “shut the f— up and sit the f— down,” MacMahon reports. Cuban told ESPN the fans were chanting “fire Nico” (ie. general manager Nico Harrison) while the Mavs were shooting free throws and again during a critical late-game possession. They were later ejected.

Head coach Jason Kidd didn’t speak to reporters after Dallas’ loss, a violation of NBA rules.

“I mean, yeah. I saw,” Doncic said on Monday when asked about the reaction in Dallas to the trade that ended his Mavs tenure. “Obviously, I saw the fans. Obviously, I really appreciate it. I’ve been there seven years — almost seven years — and it was amazing to experience those fans — the love for me. I’ll always appreciate that. But now I think we should focus on the next step. And the way Lakers fans received me here was amazing.”

Cuban Tried In Vain To Talk GM, Owner Out of Doncic Deal

February 9th, 2025 at 5:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban was stung by the lack of advance warning he had on the Luka Doncic blockbuster and tried to talk general manager Nico Harrison out of making the deal with the Lakers, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack article.

Cuban had privately told Doncic that he wanted him to be the organization for as long as Dirk Nowitzki’s NBA-record 21 seasons with one team, according to Stein. However, by the time Cuban tried to convince Harrison and current majority owner Patrick Dumont to retain Doncic, the deal with the Lakers had already been verbally agreed upon.

It was an example of Cuban’s reduced role in the organization, despite the belief that he’d continue retain oversight of basketball operations when he sold his majority share.

Here’s more from Stein:

Harrison was indeed the driving force behind the trade. He increasingly believed since last season’s NBA Finals that Doncic would not improve his commitment to conditioning or his off-court dietary discipline, not would he improve as a leader or culture-setter. Harrison also felt Doncic would continue to struggle to stay healthy and was weary of the star’s constant battles with game officials.
Harrison’s fondness for Anthony Davis within the organization was well-known but it was speculated that he’d try to pair Davis with Doncic, rather than swap the two stars for each other. The GM also believes Davis remains one of the league’s top 10 players.
Harrison did not show up at the arena for Davis’ Mavs debut on Saturday due to security concerns. There has been a major fan backlash since the deal became public. Dumont also did not attend.

Mavericks Governor Stands By Luka Doncic Trade

February 9th, 2025 at 12:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks team governor Patrick Dumont is sympathetic toward angry fans, but passionate in his defense of the controversial Luka Doncic trade.

Speaking to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News in his first public comments since the deal was completed last Sunday, Dumont talked about the need to “make tough decisions and stand by them.” That’s what led the organization to part with the 25-year-old mega-star who may just be entering him prime after five years as a first-team All-NBA selection.

The reaction from Dallas fans has been intensely negative, capped by a “Rally for Luka” held outside American Airlines Center prior to Saturday afternoon’s game. Dumont said the backlash was expected, but he stands by his belief that the team has improved by adding Anthony Davis, Max Christie and the Lakers‘ 2029 first-round pick.

“Look, it’s been an emotional week for everyone. It really has. I clearly understand that, and I really appreciate that,” Dumont said. “I’m a big Luka fan. My family are big Luka fans. I have a really deep appreciation for what he brought to this team, what he brought to Dallas, and the excitement he brings. He’s an electrifying player. I want you to know I really sympathize with all of our fans who feel hurt. Look, as far as I’m concerned, Luka is a Mav for life and I really wish him nothing but happiness and success in his career as he continues in LA.”

Dumont expressed confidence in general manager Nico Harrison, who put the deal together in virtual secrecy through a series of talks with Lakers GM Rob Pelinka. Dumont and L.A. owner Jeanie Buss were reportedly the only other people who were aware that negotiations were occurring.

At a press conference last Sunday, Harrison took ownership of the decision to trade Doncic, but Dumont said he signed off on the deal as well.

“I’ve said it all along: In Nico we trust,” Dumont said. “You have to respect the track record. You have to respect his intellect. You have to respect his relationships and his judgment and his point of view and the way he communicates. I respect that. Our whole family respects it.”

Harrison also talked about “culture” and the need to acquire players who reflect the organizational philosophy. Although Dumont didn’t directly address concerns about Doncic’s weight and conditioning, he implied that the Slovenian star was no longer a good fit.

“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,” he 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.”

Dumont denied that the decision to part with Doncic was motivated by finances. If he had stayed in Dallas, Doncic would have been eligible to receive a record-breaking $345MM extension this summer, which would have affected other roster decisions moving forward. Dumont also cited a motivation to keep improving after losing to the Celtics in five games in last year’s NBA Finals.

“You don’t know how I felt when we lost the Finals and I was standing there with confetti falling on my head in Boston,” he said. “I was pretty unhappy. I’ll never forget that.”

That Finals run came after Harrison retooled the roster at last year’s deadline, adding Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington in separate trades. The new combinations clicked, and Dallas became one of the best teams in the league over the second half of the season.

The organization remained aggressive during the summer, adding Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes while re-signing Spencer Dinwiddie. Injuries played a role — especially to Doncic, who was only available for 22 games — but there was disappointment with the 26-23 start when the Doncic deal was made.

Dumont said Harrison and the player personnel staff were comparing the Mavericks to their Western Conference rivals and the top teams in the East and weren’t satisfied with how they matched up.

“Not only do we have to fight a Western Conference, where a lot of teams got better through the trade deadline, we also, in order to get to our ultimate goal, have to survive the East,” Dumont said. “We looked at this season to see, ‘Did we get better since The Finals last year?’ And we’d play this season to see where we were. If you look at our record up until the trade deadline, we were not there.”

Dumont also addressed rumors that trading Doncic was the first step in a plan to eventually move the Mavericks out of Dallas. The Dumont and Adelson families issued a formal denial this week, and Dumont amplified that position.

“I’m not sure where this is coming from,” he said. “I appreciate people asking. Our family happens to live in Las Vegas, but we have investments all over the world. And the Dallas Mavericks is the team we bought. We had options to buy other teams in the past, but Dallas was the city that we wanted to be in, and that’s where it’s going to be.”

Anthony Davis Downplays Injury That Shortened Mavs Debut

February 8th, 2025 at 6:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

Anthony Davis had a dominant performance during his Mavericks debut Saturday afternoon, but he also suffered an injury that prevented him from finishing the game, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News.

Davis posted 26 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists in 30 minutes of action as Dallas defeated Houston to improve to 28-25. He also had three blocks, helping the Mavs set a franchise record with 18 total.

However, as Curtis relays, the crowd let out a loud groan late in the third quarter when Davis grabbed his groin area while defending Rockets center Alperen Sengun. He signaled to the Dallas bench for a substitution and spent the rest of the contest in the locker room.

It was the first game action in more than a week for Davis, who suffered a strained abdomen while he was still with the Lakers. He told reporters, including Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Twitter link), that he doesn’t believe today’s injury scare is a cause for concern.

“My leg got tight, like a little spasm,” Davis explained. “I came back to try to get it loose while still dealing with the abdominal strain. But I managed to loosen it up, and it’s nothing serious. I’m fine.”

Davis added that the pain was in the “groin-quad kind of area.” He is “very confident” that he didn’t suffer a setback in his recovery from the abdomen issue, per Marc Stein (Twitter link).

There’s no word yet on his status for Monday’s home game against Sacramento or how the injury might affect his availability for next weekend’s All-Star Game.

Davis’ outstanding start seemed to lift the spirits of a crowd that was still angry about the surprise trade that sent Luka Doncic to L.A. last weekend, Curtis adds. The Mavericks gave him the ball on the first play of the game, and he responded to a double team by throwing a lob pass to Daniel Gafford for a dunk. A few seconds later, he blocked Sengun’s shot and fired an outlet pass to P.J. Washington for a breakaway slam.

He described his first quarter showing as “a friendly reminder of who Anthony Davis is,” according to Stein (Twitter link). It was a message to fans that Dallas didn’t get taken in the Doncic trade, even though Curtis reports that more than 100 of them held a pregame protest outside the arena with calls to sell the team and fire general manager Nico Harrison. Even so, Davis got a rousing reception when his name was announced during introductions.

Davis was also asked about his relationship with the Adelson and Dumont families, who own the Mavericks and signed off on the controversial deal, per Christian Clark of The Athletic (Twitter link).

“I know they have a vision and a plan for the team,’ Davis responded. “I heard some things from coaches about their casino thing they are trying to bring to Dallas. They have some really big ideas. Probably in the near future, will have dinner with them and just talk.”

The uproar over the Doncic trade led to a conspiracy theory that the Adelsons and Dumonts want to move the team to Las Vegas or some other location where it might be easier to get approval for a casino. Those rumors became so widespread that ownership issued a statement of denial, according to Tim Cato of DLLS Sports (subscriber only).

“The Adelson and Dumont Families have already started and are committed to investing and building in Dallas/Ft. Worth,” the statement reads. “The families have absolutely no plans to move the team out of North Texas.”

Southwest Notes: Davis, Mavs, Rockets, Fox

February 7th, 2025 at 7:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Star big man Anthony Davis is on track to return from his abdominal strain and make his Mavericks debut on Saturday, having been officially listed as probable to play in Dallas vs. the Rockets.

As Tim MacMahon of ESPN details, it’s expected to be a charged environment in Dallas, where a protest is planned from fans angry about the decision to trade away franchise player Luka Doncic. Davis said on Friday that he “can’t control” how fans will react, but that he understands why they’re upset about the trade.

“Obviously it’s a business, and I get who Luka was to this franchise, to the city,” Davis said. “I’m never going to downplay that — just how I know what I meant to the city of L.A. So I’m not surprised by the fans’ reaction and the city’s reaction, but it’s my job to come in and play basketball and do what I’m supposed to do and give the fans hope and reassurance on why [general manager] Nico [Harrison] brought me here.

“…I understand who Luka is and what he’s able to do and what he’s already done for our game. He’s a phenomenal player, going to be one of the best to ever play the game of basketball. But to have Nico trade for me just shows his belief in me and what I can do on the floor. It’s my job to produce every night and have Mavs nation believe that as well. So I’m excited for the challenge.”

While it’s no surprise that some Mavs fans have handled news of the Doncic/Davis trade poorly, “lines have been crossed,” according to MacMahon, who said during a TV appearance (Twitter video link) that Harrison has received threats and faced racial epithets.

Sources tell MacMahon that the team has beefed up security for Saturday’s contest and that Harrison – who has employed his own personal security – won’t be in his usual seat for the game.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said on Thursday that he envisions a starting lineup that features P.J. Washington at small forward and Davis at power forward alongside a center (Twitter link via Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News). When Dereck Lively is healthy, he may be the team’s starting five, but until then, Daniel Gafford will likely get that assignment. Washington, who has missed the past three games due to right knee soreness and personal reasons, is off the injury report and should be available on Saturday.
Rockets officials expressed for months leading up to Thursday’s deadline that they planned to stick with their current roster making than making any major in-season deals and they stuck to that plan this week, as Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes. Reports have suggested Houston wants to see how its young core performs in the postseason before making any major roster decisions — head coach Ime Udoka reiterated that point on Thursday. “We like what we have,” Udoka said. “We’ve been doing OK and feel we can do a lot better. (We) want to continue to grow as a group, watch our young guys develop, play in big situations and see what we have.”
Citing team and league sources, Iko reports that the Rockets received calls this week on Jae’Sean Tate, Jock Landale, Aaron Holiday, and Steven Adams, all of whom are on expiring or pseudo-expiring contracts. However, Houston didn’t feel compelled to make any move that would compromise the team’s depth, according to Iko, who says Tate generated the most interest of those four players.
De’Aaron Fox‘s 24-point, 13-assist Spurs debut on Wednesday in a tight win over Atlanta provided a compelling case for the star guard’s fit in San Antonio, writes ESPN’s Michael C. Wright. “Selfishly, as a coach, I think that’s probably about as complete of a game you’d hope for the first game,” acting head coach Mitch Johnson said. “You saw the potential. It’s tantalizing. He’s dynamic. He’s going to unlock a whole different element for our team.”

Mavericks Notes: Davis, Irving, Christie, Martin

February 6th, 2025 at 12:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Anthony Davis could make his Mavericks debut tonight at Boston, tweets Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. Davis, who has been sidelined for the past week with a strained abdominal muscle, was upgraded to questionable in the team’s latest injury report. He was able to participate in this morning’s shootaround, and a decision on his status will be made closer to tipoff.

[Update: Davis is more likely to make his Mavericks debut on Saturday, per NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link).]

Davis met with the media on Tuesday for the first time since the shocking deal that sent him from the Lakers to the Mavs, Afseth writes in a full story. He told reporters that his long-standing relationship with Dallas general manager Nico Harrison has made the experience of changing teams much easier.

“Nico’s known me since I was in high school,” Davis said. “Obviously, one of the guys I got close to when I signed with Nike. And then, to stay close throughout the years, we remained good friends. And now to come back kind of full circle and be together here in Dallas, it’s going to be fun.”

Davis also expressed excitement about being able to return to his preferred position of power forward on a team that’s stocked with centers. Although he may see some time in the middle while Dereck Lively is injured, that should be temporary.

“Obviously, Dereck is dealing with an injury, but Gaff (Daniel Gafford) is playing phenomenal. So I think that’s the plan, but we’ll see how it goes,” Davis said. “Right now, I’m just excited to get back to playing basketball. Given the whole trade thing but also the injury, each time I’m on the floor, I feel better. But I haven’t played power forward in a long time, since I was first in LA. To be back at the four, I’m excited to see how it goes.”

There’s more on the Mavericks:

Davis is also thrilled to finally reunite with Kyrie Irving, Afseth adds. They both played for Team USA in the 2014 World Cup and have been interested in joining forces in the NBA for several years. “Me and Kai talked about this, I think, in 2018 when I asked for a trade from New Orleans,” Davis said. “He was in Boston at the time, and he ended up leaving for Brooklyn. We’ve been wanting to play alongside each other for a very long time. Now we got that opportunity to do so.”
Max Christie had an impressive first game for the Mavs in Tuesday’s loss at Philadelphia, Afseth states in a separate story. He scored 15 points while hitting all four of his three-point attempts, added nine rebounds and played high-level defense. “Christie was great. With 30 minutes on the floor and no practice, he was better than advertised,” coach Jason Kidd said. “He showed his skills as a basketball player on both sides of the floor for us tonight.” Christie said he enjoyed his debut, even though he’s still learning the sets that Dallas runs.
Because the Mavericks were playing in Philadelphia, Caleb Martin was able to join his new team right away when he got traded to Dallas before Tuesday’s game, notes Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Martin signed with the Sixers in free agency last summer, but injuries have limited him to 31 games and he hasn’t played since January 10 due to a strained right hip. “It’s kind of disappointing to see him gone,” Joel Embiid said. “True professional. Obviously, we’ve had a tough season — all of us. We just haven’t been healthy. He’s been part of this. I feel like we never really got to see what we all envisioned about all of us.”

Southwest Notes: Fox, Mavericks, Gafford, Murphy, Murray

February 5th, 2025 at 5:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hours before making his Spurs debut tonight in Atlanta, De’Aaron Fox already seemed comfortable with his new team, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPN. San Antonio was Fox’s preferred destination when he informed the Kings that he wasn’t interested in extending his contract beyond 2026. At this morning’s shootaround, Fox talked about the chance to team up with Victor Wembanyama and join an organization loaded with young talent.

“It’s a very unique opportunity,” he said. “Not many guys come around like that. And I think it’s not just him, but everybody else. With the way they’re built, with the athleticism, with the length that they have and also the youth, I just felt like this could be a special team. I felt like the fit would be spectacular, and I feel like I have a lot of years left to play. Some people say you kind of expedited [San Antonio’s development] process. But you look at a team like [Oklahoma City], where outside of Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander) and I think outside of (Alex Caruso), everybody else is pretty much on a rookie contract. I feel like we can do the same thing.”

Fox will now be an important part of that equation. He received a text from a member of the Spurs’ organization on Monday talking about the need to overcome “dry spells” as the team’s offense bogged down during a loss to Memphis. Fox is regularly one of the league’s best crunch-time scorers, which will be a welcome addition to a San Antonio team that’s just 9-11 in clutch games this season.

“Excited to see what it looks like,” new teammate Chris Paul said. “I’ve known Fox for a while. To get a chance to play alongside him, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

The Mavericks are offering refunds to angry fans who canceled their season tickets over the Luka Doncic trade, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Several fans staged a protest Sunday outside American Airlines Center, with some holding up signs criticizing general manager Nico Harrison.
Mavericks center Daniel Gafford was able to practice today after hurting his shoulder in Tuesday’s game at Philadelphia, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “I’m fine. It was just obviously a scare,” he told Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). “It was probably one of the worst stingers that I’ve had coming down this stretch. But it’s OK. Kind of like a shooting pain down my arm last night so it scared me because I didn’t want it to be more of a major injury than what I was expecting. It was just a regular old stinger, so I’ll be fine.”
Trey Murphy has become the second player in Pelicans history to reach 40 points in two straight games, notes Rod Walker of NOLA. He scored 24 points in the third quarter Monday night, which ties a franchise record for most points in a quarter.
Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray posted a photo from his hospital bed after undergoing surgery for a torn Achilles tendon (Twitter link). “Thank you God for a successful surgery,” Murray wrote. “Road to recovery starts now.”

More Notes On Luka Doncic Blockbuster

February 3rd, 2025 at 3:14pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz were involved in the Luka Doncic/Anthony Davis mega-deal between the Lakers and Mavericks as a third-team facilitator, taking on Jalen Hood-Schifino‘s expiring contract and getting a pair of 2025 second-rounders for their willingness to eat that salary.

However, according to Ramona Shelburne and Tim MacMahon of ESPN, the talks between Dallas and Los Angeles were so closed off that Utah didn’t even know Doncic and Davis were involved in the trade until approximately an hour before it was completed. All the Jazz knew was that they were acquiring two second-round picks along with Hood-Schifino.

As ESPN’s duo writes, the Lakers had a few backup plans lined up if the Jazz ended up backing out. Utah had to complete a trade with the Clippers earlier on Saturday in order to make sure there was a roster spot available to take on Hood-Schifino — the Jazz ended up waiving Mohamed Bamba a day after acquiring him from the Clippers to open up that spot.

According to Shelburne and MacMahon, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison decided early in the process that the best way to go about trading Doncic was to target a specific deal he wanted and to keep it quiet. While the Mavs have faced some criticism for not opening up the process and potentially creating a bidding war, Harrison didn’t want to risk Doncic and his agent exerting leverage from their end — he also hoped to avoid creating a fan backlash during the negotiations, per ESPN.

Here’s more on the blockbuster trade whose shock waves are still reverberating across the NBA:

Within their in-depth look ta the deal, Shelburne and MacMahon write that Doncic’s habits on and off the court that had long frustrated the Mavericks. According to ESPN’s duo, when Doncic missed 11 days in November due to what was called a right wrist sprain, the primary motive was to give him time to shed weight, since he was in the high-260s. “I mean, who gains weight during the season when you’re playing 40 minutes a game?” one team source complained to ESPN last year. The Mavs considered Doncic’s ideal weight to be 245 points, but he frequently played in the 250-255 range or higher.
As Marc Stein previously reported, the full-time “body team” that Doncic hired out of pocket prior to the 2023/24 season was another source of frustration for Dallas. According to ESPN, the Mavs didn’t notice any improvements in the guard’s conditioning or availability, and complained about poor communication with Doncic’s team, which consisted of Slovenian national team strength coach Anze Macek, physiotherapist Javier Barrio Calvo, and nutritionist Lucia Almendros from Real Madrid.
New Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont didn’t have the same kind of personal relationship with Doncic that former majority owner Mark Cuban did, per Shelburne and MacMahon, who say Dumont trusted in Harrison’s belief that the trade would give the Mavs a better culture-setter in Davis, along with more financial flexibility and a defense-first identity. Cuban, who is still a minority stakeholder in the franchise, declined to comment on the deal, but one team source told ESPN, “No way Mark would ever trade Luka. It wouldn’t even be a conversation.”
Doncic had anticipated signing a five-year super-max extension with the Mavericks during the 2025 offseason, sources tell ESPN — he never gave any indication that he had considered the idea of leaving Dallas and had begun searching for a new home in the city. However, team sources tell Shelburne and MacMahon that the club was as concerned about Doncic signing that contract as they were about him not signing it.
David Aldridge of The Athletic spoke to several executives around the league about their impressions of the Doncic/Davis trade and how it was negotiated. While some of those execs questioned Dallas’ thinking, others pointed out that the Mavs knew Doncic better than any other team. “Luka has the ability to take a franchise to the highest level and has shown that,” one Eastern Conference executive said. “He is a winner, but it seems that Dallas knows something that others might not know and made a decision that they feel is best for now and their future.”
Marc J. Spears of Andscape hears that Doncic and the Lakers are targeting next week – likely either Monday or Wednesday vs. Utah – for his debut with the team (Twitter video link). Doncic has been out since Christmas Day due to a calf strain.

Latest On Luka Doncic

February 3rd, 2025 at 8:08am CST by Arthur Hill

Nearly as surprising as the Luka Doncic trade itself is the fact that Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison and Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka were able to keep their negotiations a complete secret for more than three weeks. In the social media age when everything seems to get leaked online, Harrison and Pelinka managed to gradually construct the framework of a deal after broaching the subject for the first time in a face-to-face meeting on January 7.

In his latest Substack column (subscription required), Marc Stein reveals that Mavericks majority owner Patrick Dumont and Lakers owner Jeanie Buss were the only other people aware that a Doncic trade was being actively discussed. Instead of announcing his intentions to the entire league and creating a bidding war for Doncic, Harrison focused on landing Anthony Davis, who was his preferred target since talks began.

While Harrison defended the deal and explained his motivations during a press conference on Sunday, Stein states that there is “loud surprise” throughout the league that he wasn’t able to land both of the Lakers’ available first-round picks in exchange for a 25-year-old superstar. L.A. sent its 2029 first-rounder to Dallas, but hung on to its 2031 pick to help upgrade the roster in other areas.

Despite outside speculation that the Mavs needed to keep Doncic happy heading into his next contract, Stein believes Harrison and ownership eventually decided that they weren’t happy with him. Harrison talked Sunday about the need for players who “fit the culture,” implying that Doncic wasn’t viewed that way anymore.

Stein hears that management was turned off by Doncic’s decision to hire his own team of training experts heading into the 2023/24 season, even though it was at his own expense. That group, which handled his medical and nutritional needs, gained unexpected power in the organization after longtime athletic trainer Casey Smith was removed from his day-to-day duties in August 2023, Stein adds.

Stein points out that in his insistence on culture, Harrison prefers players that he’s familiar with. That includes Davis, whom he knows well through their Nike connections, as well as Kyrie Irving and P.J. Washington, whom Harrison added in recent trades after becoming the GM.

Harrison emphasized on Sunday that the decision to bring Davis to Dallas is entirely his and he doesn’t consider it to be risky. He is aware of the backlash from angry Mavericks fans, but he’s confident they’ll eventually come to understand why the deal was made.

“I’m sorry they are frustrated. It’s something we believe in as an organization that’s going to make us better,” Harrison said. “We believed it sets us up to win not only now but in the future. And when we win, I believe the frustration will go away.”

There’s more fallout from the Doncic trade:

Parting with Doncic hasn’t affected the Mavericks’ plans to sign Irving to an extension this summer, Stein adds. He has a $44MM player option for next season, but that will likely turn into a long-term deal as he and Davis are now the cornerstones of the franchise.
Doncic’s father, Sasa, had sharp criticism for the Mavericks in an interview with Arena Sport Slovenia, according to Stein. He accused the team of “secrecy” and “hypocrisy,” adding that it’s “really unfair from certain people from Dallas.”
The Lakers celebrated Doncic’s arrival in Los Angeles late Sunday night with a series of tweets showing him departing his flight and meeting with Pelinka. Doncic offered a message on Twitter, stating, “Grateful for this amazing opportunity. Basketball means everything to me, and no matter where I play the game, I’ll do so with the same joy, passion and goal – to win championships.”

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