Late Saturday night, the Dallas Mavericks set the NBA world on fire by trading Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers, getting Anthony Davis in return. The stunning trade raised questions, shocked NBA players and doubled the Lakers’ odds of making the NBA finals.
The deal specifically raised questions for Mavericks fans, who are now dealing with the unexpected loss of Dallas’ biggest player. But, in an interview with the Dallas Morning News, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison defended the blockbuster trade, saying that sending Dončić to the Lakers sets the franchise up for short-term and long-term success.
“I understand why they would be shocked, initially,” Harrison told the Dallas Morning News. “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 said that he and Lakers GM and VP of basketball operations Rob Pelinka began having conversations more than a month ago, although he said that the turn to the Dončić-Davis trade happened over the past three weeks. The Mavericks GM confirmed that he broached the possibility of trading Dončić first, which the Lakers quickly responded to.
Harrison also cited Dončić’s upcoming contract extension as rationale for the trade, noting that teams have shown interest in him down the line. Dončić was eligible for a five-year, $345 million supermax deal with Dallas this summer; with the trade, he is no longer supermax eligible.
“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,” Harrison said. “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.”
Harrison said that he did message Dončić, sending him a text and leaving a phone message for the 25-year-old guard. “My guess is he probably doesn’t want to talk to me,” Harrison said.
As for Davis, Harrison praised the 31-year-old forward’s defensive skills. Harrison also said that he and Mavericks coach Jason Kidd liked what Davis will bring to the Dallas locker room.
“We really feel that defense wins championships, and we think the players that we’re bringing in add to the culture, which is important to what J-Kidd and I have been building here from day one,” Harrison said. “And then obviously, when you get an all-NBA player who’s also a first-team All-Defensive player, we think that’s gonna help us where we need it the most, on the defensive end.”
Harrison cited the Cleveland Cavaliers, whose frontcourt duo of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen has been solid for the past several seasons, as a potential comparison for what he hopes will happen with Davis in Dallas. Harrison added that Davis will probably finish games as a center, but will also get to play as a power forward — his preferred position — alongside Mavericks center Daniel Gafford.
Dončić and Davis are currently both injured: Dončić is sidelined with a calf injury, while Davis has a foot injury. Once the two are healthy, fans will get a chance to see how things shook out — and who really won the trade.
