Donnie Nelson fires shots at how Nico Harrison treated Luka Doncic with Mavericks exit, ‘those things were sacred’

Nelson felt Harrison disrespected Doncic with the trade

Nelson was a beloved figure during his time with the Mavericks. Most of the legendary players had nothing but praise for him. He always treated the players and staff with respect, which made them big fans. Harrison irked people with the moves, including letting go of Casey Smith, the team’s health and performance director.

Nelson built the team well, as he always found ways to stay competitive. When Dirk Nowitzki was in his prime, Nelson always built the team with the German in mind. Nowitzki was on the verge of retirement in the mid-to-late 2010s. After seeing Nelson pick Doncic, Nowitzki was excited to take part, so he stayed for the 2018-19 season.

Nelson was also in tune with what the fans wanted during his tenure as GM. He always wanted to do right by the fans, which some people think Harrison did not. The Doncic trade shocked the whole NBA world, but the Mavericks fans felt hurt by the move.

“During my years in Dallas, we always considered what was important to that community. And we looked at the players being a part of that. It was never like we went to one of our ATMs, took out a player, used him until he was most useful, and then threw him away,” Nelson said to EKIPA’s Andrej Milijkovic about what he felt about the Doncic trade.

“Those things were sacred to us. Of course, this is the NBA, and trades can happen, players come and go. But with all due respect, you have to understand that some players are different, special, and even more important to the environment and the community.”

“It’s important to treat those players with respect. That’s why there was so much disappointment after what happened to Luka.”

Harrison and the Mavericks have entered a new era

After the Doncic trade, many in Dallas disliked Harrison. However, they still came away as winners when the Mavericks won the NBA Draft Lottery. They got the #1 overall pick, Cooper Flagg, who is now on the team.

Harrison has a vision for the Mavericks with Flagg, Anthony Davis, and Kyrie Irving. Harrison always preached that defense is the best path to a championship. Since Doncic was a defensive liability, this was the right move from Harrison’s perspective. Luckily, the draft lottery favored the Mavericks.

In this new era, the Mavericks will be one of the toughest teams to play against. Despite this promising future, Mavericks fans will not forget that Harrison traded away a legend like Doncic. The trade left a bitter feeling around the Mavericks organization, which will not go away anytime soon.