Mavs GM Nico Harrison has ‘no regrets’ for trading Luka Doncic
More than two months after the Dallas Mavericks’ shocking trade of star guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, it remains a prominent discussion around the league.
Through all the public backlash and discourse, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison is steadfast in his stance that he made the right move for the franchise.
“There’s no regrets on the trade,” said Harrison via ESPN. “Part of my job is to do the best thing for the Mavericks, not only today, but also in the future, and some of the decisions I’m going to make are going to be unpopular. That’s my job, and I have to stand by it.”
Although Harrison hasn’t wavered in his outlook after the move, the team has struggled mightily. Injuries significantly impacted Dallas, headlined by star point guard Kyrie Irving’s season-ending torn ACL.
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Meanwhile, the Mavericks slid down to the play-in tournament to keep their playoff aspirations alive. Since the franchise-changing move, there also remains a strong sentiment from the fan base that has seen many calling for Harrison to be fired.
“Well, the beauty of Dallas is it is a passionate fan base,” Harrison said. “For us to reach our goals, we need that fan base. And to be honest with you, every trade I’ve made since I’ve been here has not been regarded as a good trade, and so sometimes it takes time.
“When I traded for Kyrie, it was met with a lot of skepticism and it was graded as a terrible trade and you didn’t see it right away, but eventually everyone agreed that that was a great trade. When I traded for [Gafford] and [Washington] again, it was like, ‘Oh, he gave up way too much. These guys aren’t going to help us.’ Now that trade, you saw the evidence a lot sooner. So I think a lot of times trades take a little bit of time.”
Ultimately, time will tell if trading Doncic was the right decision in the long run.
