In the wake of a crushing postseason exit and a firestorm of fan backlash, the Dallas Mavericks’ GM, Nico Harrison, stepped up to the mic Monday with a message: stay the course.
Seven days after hosting a closed-door session with select journalists, Harrison addressed the public for the first time since trading away franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic – a move that stunned the NBA world.
“We knew this was going to be an unpopular decision,” Harrison acknowledged. “But we made it with belief in a bigger picture. When healthy, Kyrie, Klay, PJ, AD, and Lively? That’s a title-contending group.”
Injuries ravaged that vision. Anthony Davis missed time with lingering foot issues, Klay Thompson struggled to find rhythm post-All-Star break, and Kyrie Irving was sidelined late in the season. As losses piled up, so did the outrage.
Still, Harrison remains unshaken in his strategy.
“Defense wins championships. That’s been true forever,” he said. “This roster was built with that in mind. Next season, you’ll see why we made the moves we did.”
Asked how he plans to regain trust with a fanbase still grieving Luka’s departure, Harrison was candid: “I believe winning will help repair the relationship with the fans. That’s the goal. That’s the only goal.”
As the offseason begins, Dallas faces one of its most critical summers in franchise history. Whether Harrison’s gamble pays off could define not just the team’s future, but his own.
Nico Harrison: I Knew Luka Doncic Was Important To Mavs’ Fans, I Didn’t Quite Know To What Level https://t.co/Tc6Zb02Wxg
— RealGM (@RealGM) April 21, 2025
