Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison is trying his best to move on from trading Luka Dončić, and a closed-door meeting with the media wasn’t it.
Harrison made one of the most controversial trades in NBA history earlier this season, when he sent Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for a package centered around Anthony Davis. The Dallas Mavericks general manager attempted to finally put the trade behind him this week, when he and team president Rick Welts met with the media. But by restricting cameras and only permitting select members of the Dallas media to attend, Harrison walked away from the closed-door meeting looking even worse.
Friday afternoon, ESPN aired a sit-down between Malika Andrews and Dončić on NBA Today. During the interview with Dončić, Andrews read an exchange between Harrison and ESPN reporter Tim MacMahon from the closed-door meeting.
Luka Doncic tells @malika_andrews about throwing his phone and breaking it when he found out he got traded to the Lakers 😳
“My heart was broken honestly.” 💔 pic.twitter.com/rfsIGlOaBC
— ESPN (@espn) April 18, 2025
“The reporter said, ‘You [Nico] didn’t believe that the team that went to the Finals last year with Luka as the centerpiece could contend and continue to contend for championships.’ And Nico Harrison said, ‘I’ll say this again, defense wins championships.’”
Andrews then asked Dončić to respond Harrison’s implication that his defense was holding the Mavericks back from winning a championship.
“It’s just sad, the way he’s talking right now,” Dončić said. “I never said anything bad about him. And I just want to move on. The fans, my ex-teammates, I’ll always keep at heart. It’s time to move on from there.”
Andrews also asked Dončić if he spoke to Harrison on the night of the trade or thereafter, to which the answer was a resounding “no.”
The careers of Dončić and Harrison will forever be linked due to the historic trade that took place on Feb. 1. The initial shock may have made it difficult for Dončić to move on from his nearly seven years in Dallas. But as long as Dončić remains an MVP-caliber player in the NBA, Harrison will never stop having to answer questions about the trade. And limiting who can ask those questions won’t change that.
About Brandon Contes
Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com