Mavericks Radio Voice Deletes Blistering Post Criticizing Luka Doncic Trade

The Mavericks' season ended in the NBA Play-In Tournament after losing 120-106 against the Memphis Grizzlies. The final defeat came after a 39-43 underachieving regular season record, a dramatic fall from their NBA Finals appearance last season.

Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison addressed the full Dallas media for the first time after the season ended, with a significant focus on the Doncic trade. It followed a failed attempt to privately explain the trade in a closed-door meeting with handpicked media members, where cameras and recorders were not allowed. Harrison admitted he underestimated how furious fans would be.

"I knew Luka was important to the fan base," Harrison said. "I didn’t quite know it to what level. When you have 20,000 people chanting 'Fire Nico,' you feel it."

Harrison continued to defend the trade, which sent Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick, by leaning on the same mantra that has failed to gain traction with fans: "defense wins championships."

"The way we looked at it is if you're putting a team on the floor that's Kyrie [Irving], Klay [Thompson], P.J. [Washington], Anthony Davis, and [Dereck] Lively, we feel that's a championship-caliber team," Harrison said. "We would've been winning at a high level and that would've quieted some of the outrage."

Harrison denied that the front office shipped Doncic out to avoid paying him a projected $345 million supermax extension, adding that team governor Patrick Dumont did not push for the deal for that reason. However, Harrison's intel was instrumental in getting Dumont to green-light trading Doncic.

Despite repeated attempts to pivot beyond the trade, twice stating "Luka’s no longer on this team," Harrison acknowledged the front office failed to communicate effectively.

"Our goal is to never run away from the media," he said. "I think I’ve done a really good job here. I don’t think I can be judged by injuries this year. You have to be judged in totality from beginning to end."

Davis missed 18 games after his debut due to injury but returned to help lead the Mavs late. He scored 40 points in the season-ending loss to Memphis.

"They see me as another guy; they get rid of a guy, a new guy comes in. While they want to embrace you, it still stings," Davis said. "I owed it to myself to come out and do whatever I can to get back on the floor to try to compete at the highest level."

With Kyrie Irving rehabbing from ACL surgery and doubts about the team’s trajectory still swirling, Harrison says he believes results will eventually mend the fractured relationship with fans.

"I believe winning will help repair the relationship with the fans," Harrison said.

But as Cooperstein’s fiery and now deleted post showed, the fallout from the Doncic trade still casts a long shadow over the franchise.