Dallas Mavericks

Dallas Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont may have thought general manager Nico Harrison was joking when he first proposed trading Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers.

"The first time, he laughed at me," Harrison said Sunday about bringing up the trade with Dumont.

Harrison continued: "Patrick, he's the owner, obviously he's the ultimate decision maker. But he entrusted in J-Kidd and I to lead this team, and he's putting the trust into us.

"You've got to get judged for the performance that you've done as a leader. And at some point, if it doesn't work out, then I'll be judged for that."

Rather than offering Dončić a supermax extension and building the Mavericks around him, Harrison traded the 25-year-old star on Saturday night for a package including Anthony Davis and a 2029 first-round pick.

Harrison went on to take responsibility for the trade by saying that head coach Jason Kidd had not learned about the deal until it had already been finalized.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported earlier Sunday that the trade took place after "Harrison made the decision, supported by new Mavericks majority owner Patrick Dumont, to pursue Davis and pretty much no one else."

Harrison cited his longstanding relationship with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka when discussing the trade with the Dallas Morning News' Brad Townsend.

As ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported, the relationship between the two dates back to "when Harrison was Kobe Bryant's marketing manager at Nike and Pelinka was Bryant's agent."

Dumont was part of the group that purchased a majority stake in the Mavericks following Mark Cuban's sale of the team in December 2023. Cuban, who still holds a minority stake in the team, confirmed to WFAA's Ryan Osborne and Pete Freedman that he wasn't part of the decision to trade Dončić.

The Mavs offered Harrison a multiyear contract extension before Dončić and the Mavs played the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals last spring.

At the time, Dumont credited Harrison with having "propelled our team to two playoff appearances in three seasons and of course this year's NBA Finals."

That past success may have earned Harrison some decision-making leeway. His first major test will now be whether Dallas is able to find further playoff success without Dončić this spring.

Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison executed one of the most shocking trades in NBA history by sending Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers, and his explanation for the deal is likely to create even more confusion.

Harrison told reporters on Sunday that he only spoke to the Lakers and never shopped Dončić to any other teams. He also added that Dončić never indicated that he wanted out or wouldn't sign an extension moving forward.

Harrison added that Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd wasn't informed of the discussions with the Lakers before the trade was executed:

The deal sent shockwaves throughout the sports world, as Dončić is considered to be a generational talent who would've been the face of the Mavs for the next decade. Dallas also shipped him away for star forward Anthony Davis, guard Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick, which is a significantly minimal return for a player of Dončić's caliber.

Still, Harrison maintained his belief that he made the right decision, telling reporters, "We definitely understand the magnitude of what just transpired. It's definitely not lost on us."

However, Harrison closed his press conference with a head-scratching remark, admitting that he won't be Mavs GM for much longer if the deal doesn't work out in Dallas' favor.

"The future to me is [three, four] years from now," Harrison said, per Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports. "The future 10 years from now -- they'll probably bury me and [Jason Kidd] by then. Or we'll bury ourselves."

The Mavs rank eighth in the Western Conference with a 26-23 record. Dončić had led Dallas to a surprising run to the 2024 NBA Finals, and Harrison is now hoping that the team's new core led by Davis and star guard Kyrie Irving will be able to achieve similar success. If they fall short, Harrison will be remembered as the GM who shipped away a young phenom at the height of his career.

NBA executives are reportedly questioning why Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison didn't shop Luka Dončić around the league before sending him to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis.

According to ESPN's Tim Bontemps, "several sources who spoke to ESPN wondered why Dallas wouldn't have canvassed the league to see how much it could get for Dončić if they wanted to move him; many thought the Mavs clearly would've been able to get more in return."

As one Western Conference executive told Bontemps: "Nico must really love Anthony Davis."

The blockbuster trade, first reported by ESPN's Shams Charania on Saturday night, brought Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick to the Mavericks as part of a three-team trade involving the Utah Jazz.

Charania added that it was the Mavericks, not the Lakers, who instigated the trade.

Early reports indicate it was not widely known around the NBA that the Mavericks were considering trading Dončić. ESPN's Bobby Marks reported that he had "never seen so many team executives not involved in this trade stunned."

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Harrison "did not make Dončić available to interested teams for the richest possible haul of draft picks" in part because he had already decided to target Davis.

Even from the Lakers, the Mavericks could have theoretically gotten a larger return for a 25-year-old superstar who led the NBA in scoring last season. Prior to the trade Los Angeles held three tradable first-round picks in 2029, 2030 and 2031, as previously reported by ESPN's Bobby Marks.

Although the Lakers couldn't trade picks taking place in back-to-back seasons, the team could have sent out both the 2029 and 2031 selection in the same deal, Marks noted.

Bontemps reported that "several sources expressed shock to learn that Dallas acquired only the Lakers' 2029 first-round pick and didn't get the 2031 pick as well."

"Many couldn't believe the Lakers once again fell into a generational talent, or the fact that Dallas was willing to give up Dončić in the first place," Bontemps wrote.

Dončić hasn't played since Christmas Day, but his lingering left calf injury hadn't changed the league-wide belief he would be sticking around in Dallas after leading the Mavs to the NBA Finals last spring.

Instead Dončić will continue his injury recovery in Los Angeles as the Lakers prepare for him to make his debut alongside LeBron James.

Five years after saying he would rather get divorced from his wife than trade Luka Dončić from the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban had to watch the franchise he once ran decide to move on from the 25-year-old superstar.

Cuban confirmed to WFAA's Ryan Osborne and Pete Freedman he wasn't involved in the Mavs' decision to trade Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers as part of a package for Anthony Davis.

In 2020, Cuban famously said you could "catch me at my lawyer's office preparing for a divorce" when describing if he had to choose between his wife or keeping Dončić on the Mavericks.

At the time of his comment, Cuban owned a controlling interest in the Mavericks. He agreed to sell a majority stake in the franchise to the Adelson and Dumont families for $3.5 billion in November 2023.

The NBA board of governors officially approved the deal the following month, with Cuban remaining on as alternate governor with a 27 percent ownership stake.

It was an odd deal at the time because it was reported Cuban was also going to retain full control of the Mavs' basketball operations. The arrangement didn't last long, as ESPN's Tim MacMahon noted in June was no longer running basketball operations.

Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News reported on Sunday that Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison had "full support" from team governor Patrick Dumont leading up to the trade and when it came time to agree to the deal.

It's hard to imagine this would've been the case if Cuban were still in charge, not just because of the quote from 2020. There aren't a lot of examples in NBA history of a team dealing away a 25-year-old superstar when the player didn't ask for a trade.

Dončić is one of only three players in NBA history with five All-NBA first-team selections before their 26th birthday. Kevin Durant and Tim Duncan are the others.

Cuban had a history of being loyal to superstar players, particularly Dirk Nowitzki. He wouldn't part with him in 2004 when the opportunity to acquire Shaquille O'Neal from the Lakers presented itself.

When the Mavs went through a down period in the final years of Nowitzki's career, the German superstar remained a fixture in Dallas until he finally retired after the 2018-19 season.

Dončić ended his run in Dallas with five All-NBA first-team selections, five top-eight MVP finishes and an appearance in the NBA Finals last season.

Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison says he hasn't spoken directly with Luka Dončić since trading him to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis on Saturday night.

Harrison told the Dallas Morning News' Brad Townsend that he had spoken Dončić's agent, but only sent a text and a voicemail to the player himself as of Sunday morning.

"My guess is he probably doesn't want to talk to me," Harrison told Townsend.

Harrison told Townsend he had been speaking with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka for three weeks leading up to Saturday's trade, but ESPN's Shams Charania reported Sunday that Dončić is "still stunned about this trade."

Andscape's Marc J. Spears has reported that Davis "is good with going to Dallas." Dončić may not feel as positive about being abruptly traded from a team he led to the NBA Finals less than a year ago.

Spears added that Harrison and Pelinka have "a solid relationship" going back to Harrison's time as an executive at Nike.

It wasn't Harrison who originally brought Dončić to Dallas. Former Mavs general manager Donnie Nelson and team owner Mark Cuban were behind the draft-night trade that brought Dončić to Dallas in exchange for Trae Young in 2018, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

Nelson was fired in 2021, sparking a two-year long legal battle over a wrongful termination lawsuit that was settled in November.

Cuban announced Harrison's appointment as general manager ahead of the 2021-22 season, then sold his majority stake in the Mavs in December 2023.

The new Mavericks ownership, led by team governor Patrick Dumont, inked Harrison to a multi-year extension ahead of the 2024 NBA Finals.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, it was Harrison who made the decision, with support from Dumont, to "pursue Davis and pretty much no one else" in exchange for Dončić.

According to Stein, the Mavericks were so focused on putting together a trade with the Lakers that they "did not make Dončić available to interested teams for the richest possible haul of draft picks."

Harrison told ESPN's Tim MacMahon that he targeted Davis because he believes that "defense wins championships."

"I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance," Harrison told MacMahon.

Dončić played his last game for the Mavericks on Christmas Day before he was sidelined by a non-contact calf injury. The next time the 25-year-old star suits up, it will be with LeBron James and the Lakers.

Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison may not be done dealing after pulling off one of the biggest stunners in NBA history on Saturday night by trading Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers as part of a package for Anthony Davis.

Per The Athletic's Christian Clark, the "sense" right now is the Mavs are looking to make other deals prior to the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

The Mavericks received Davis, Max Christie and the Lakers' 2029 first-round draft pick for Dončić, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris. The Utah Jazz received Jalen Hood-Schifino from the Lakers and two 2025 second-round draft picks in the trade.

The trade does give the Mavs some flexibility since they are $628,000 under the tax threshold and $6.3 million under the first apron, per ESPN's Bobby Marks.

Harrison is also in the process of trying to reconstruct a roster on the fly. Davis and Kyrie Irving will be the main focal points going forward, but this is a group that was originally put together for a two-guard system with Irving and Dončić.

Irving will almost certainly be the primary ball-handler now. The addition of Christie does open up the possibility of another guard being traded.

Klay Thompson is a wild-card trade candidate because the Mavs could use more ball-handlers behind Irving, but they don't have many useful chips to put on the table. Spencer Dinwiddie probably doesn't have a lot of value since he's shooting 40.6 percent from the field. Jaden Hardy is useful as a shooter in a very limited role.

Thompson is having an up-and-down season, but he's still shooting 39.7 percent from three on 7.7 attempts per game. His contract isn't an albatross with salaries of $16.7 million in 2025-26 and $17.5 million in 2026-27.

The most valuable trade chip the Mavs got from the Lakers was the 2029 first-round pick. If they're willing to include that in a deal, they might be able to add a quality player prior to the trade deadline who can start with Irving and Davis.

Even though the Luka Dončić-for-Anthony Davis trade seemed to come out of nowhere, Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison said initial discussions with the Los Angeles Lakers started awhile ago.

Speaking to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News, Harrison explained talks with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka began more than a month ago when they had "basketball" discussions.

"Then all of a sudden we're like, 'Would you ever do this?' Harrison said. "'Nah, you're joking, right?' 'Hmm. Interesting. Maybe I would.'

"And then it just built over time over the last three weeks," he added.

The deal was officially announced on Sunday morning, with the Lakers getting Dončić, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris from the Mavs for Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round draft pick. The Utah Jazz were involved in the deal, receiving Jalen Hood-Schifino from the Lakers and two second-round draft picks in 2025.

Harrison explained how the contract shaped his thinking on the trade (via Townsend):

"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."

ESPN's Dave McMenamin noted the Mavericks were the ones who initiated talks with the Lakers, but his report said discussions only "began a few days ago."

It's certainly possible that in-depth discussions about details of the trade really ramped up a few days ago.

According to McMenamin, Harrison and Pelinka have a "long-standing relationship" that dates back years to when Harrison worked as a Nike executive who was assigned to be Kobe Bryant's marketing liaison.

Townsend noted that Harrison had "full support" from Mavs governor Patrick Dumont to make the trade.

Per ESPN's Tim MacMahon, the Mavs' reasoning for the trade stemmed from concerns about Dončić's physical conditioning knowing he would have been eligible to sign a five-year, $345 million supermax extension this summer.

This is one of the biggest gambles a team has ever made in NBA history. Harrison and the Mavericks are essentially betting the conditioning concerns they have about Dončić that have contributed to some of his injuries over the years will become such a problem it renders him not worth the financial investment they would have had to make.

It's hard right now to say that's a good bet to make. Dončić is only 25—he will turn 26 on Feb. 28—and has made the All-NBA first team in each of the past five seasons. Teams don't give away a star of his caliber at this age unless the player asks for a trade, which doesn't seem to be the case in this situation.

The Mavs are currently eighth in the Western Conference with a 26-23 record, despite not having Dončić in the lineup since Christmas Day. They will move forward with Davis, who could return from an abdominal injury as soon as next week, and Kyrie Irving as their top two players for the foreseeable future.

The Dallas Mavericks do not appear to have thoroughly shopped Luka Dončić before trading him to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis on Saturday night.

Multiple NBA teams said the night of the trade they had "no idea Luka was available," according to The Ringer's Ryen Russillo.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the trade took place after Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, backed by team owner Patrick Dumont, decided "to pursue Davis and pretty much no one else."

Stein reported that the Mavs "did not make Dončić available to interested teams for the richest possible haul of draft picks."

According to Stein, the Mavericks believe Davis is "a top-10 player in the league." The chance to acquire him alongside Max Christie and a 2019 first-rounder was apparently enough to keep Dallas from publicly putting Dončić on the trade block.

ESPN's Bobby Marks and NBA reporter Zach Lowe also shared stories of NBA executives being blindsided by the trade:

ESPN's Shams Charania first reported late Saturday night that the Mavericks and Lakers had swapped Dončić and Davis in a three-team trade involving the Utah Jazz. According to Charania, the Mavericks instigated the trade by reaching out to the Lakers.

Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison told Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News that he understands why the trade is considered shocking.

"I understand why they would be shocked, initially," Harrison told Townsend. "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."

Harrison went on to tell Townsend that he had begun talking with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka over a month ago, and the talks "just built over time over the last three weeks."

Dončić has been held to just 22 games this season amid a calf injury and reported struggles with conditioning, with his weight climbing "to the high 260s" early in the 2024-25 campaign, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

But Dončić is 25 years old, and he's just one season removed from putting up 33.9 points per game and leading the Mavericks to the NBA Finals. Forbes' Evan Sidery reported that other NBA teams would have been "willing to offer significant building blocks and historic hauls on draft picks" had Dončić's contract been put on the open market.

The Mavericks would have had to consider offering Dončić the five-year, $345 million supermax extension had he remained in Dallas this summer. The ultimately shocking part of Saturday night's blockbuster may not be the decision to move Dončić in order to avoid these extension talks, but rather the team's apparent lack of diligence in ensuring they brought in the largest haul possible for their 25-year-old superstar.

Faced with the prospect of having to give Luka Dončić a supermax contract extension this summer, the Dallas Mavericks had enough doubts about his long-term viability at that price to move on from the superstar point guard.

On the Hoop Collective Podcast (starts at 11:35 mark), ESPN's Tim MacMahon said multiple people within the Mavs organization felt like they were being "held hostage" by having to build the ultimate success of the franchise around Dončić on a potential $345 million contract.

Once the Mavericks decided to make a move, they targeted one player rather than put Dončić on the trade block:

"Harrison made the decision, supported by new Mavericks majority owner Patrick Dumont, to pursue Davis and pretty much no one else. The Mavericks did not make Dončić available to interested teams for the richest possible haul of draft picks. Sources say that the Mavericks are convinced that this move brings back a top-10 player in the league as well as a 2029 first-round pick from the Lakers."

Dončić was going to be eligible for a five-year, $345 million extension from the Mavs this summer. The deal would have been the richest in NBA history, surpassing Jayson Tatum's five-year, $313.9 million deal from the Boston Celtics signed in July.

ESPN's Bobby Marks noted Dončić is no longer eligible for that contract, but he could still sign an extension with the Lakers for up to four years and $229 million this summer. There's also a scenario he could sign a shorter-term deal to sign a supermax deal later.

Even though it would seem like an obvious choice for the Mavs to simply pay Dončić given how talented he is and how valuable he's been to the organization thus far, MacMahon noted they had "major concerns" about his conditioning issues going forward.

Dončić has had some issues staying on the court throughout his career. He's only reached the 70-game threshold twice in seven seasons, but he's never missed more than 17 games prior to this season.

Conditioning has been a question for Dončić throughout his career, so much that he's actually admitted to having issues staying in peak physical condition.

"People are going to talk about it, yes or no," Dončić said in December 2021. "I know I've got to do better."

The Mavs are taking a huge risk by deciding they didn't want to bet on Dončić at the cost of a supermax contract to be a franchise player as he ages into his late-20s and early-30s. They didn't come out of this deal empty-handed because Anthony Davis is still a great player who can help them win now and should make for a strong pairing with Kyrie Irving.

But this trade is a long-term risk by the Mavericks that could potentially set their franchise back significantly if it doesn't work out like they hope. They are coming off a season in which Dončić led them to the NBA Finals and he became the first player in league history to lead the playoffs in points, rebounds, assists and steals.

With the fallout from Saturday's shocking trade that Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks, per ESPN's Shams Charania, continuing, one NBA All-Star reportedly suggested there may be some bad blood when it comes to Dončić and his former team.

"The story of the moment and what my phone is filling up with is the reaction to the Dallas Mavericks making this move," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said. "I had a current NBA All-Star text me and say, 'Do you know how much the Mavericks must hate Luka?' This is what they're talking about in the league."

It wouldn't be hyperbole to call this one of the most stunning trades in NBA history.

Everything from the timing to the names involved and what it means for the Mavericks as an organization combined to the point that some were wondering if Charania's social-media accounts had been hacked to report a false trade.

On the surface, even landing Davis, Max Christie and the Lakers' 2029 first-round draft pick doesn't seem like enough for Dallas to give up Dončić, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris.

After all, Dončić is 25 years old and was the presumed face of the franchise for the foreseeable future for the Mavericks. He is signed through the 2025-26 season with a player option for 2026-27, and, as Windhorst pointed out, was eligible to remain there on a five-year, $345 million supermax extension he could have signed during the upcoming offseason.

What's more, he just led the team to the NBA Finals last season.

But there was clearly a disconnect there that prevented him from remaining with the only NBA team he has ever known, especially if the front office was willing to trade him for a 31-year-old Anthony Davis that likely has a shorter peak window of performance.

ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported Dallas had grown frustrated with Dončić's conditioning and believed it contributed to some of his injury concerns. That surely played a role, but it still remains shocking in hindsight.

So shocking that an All-Star suggested there may even be "hate" as a driving factor.