Apr 9, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) warms up before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers during the first quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Nico Harrison didn't have guts to tell Luka Doncic of trade from Mavericks to Lakers

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Sep 14, 2025 6:30 PM ET

There are a lot of reasons to despise general manager Nico Harrison for his decision to trade Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers. Everything that he has said since the trade, in an effort to make himself and the trade look better, has backfired. And it was already called the worst trade in NBA history as soon as it was made.

But if you're going to make a decision, at least stand on it. Harrison didn't address the Dallas media for two months after the trade, and, apparently, he couldn't even tell Doncic himself that he'd been traded. Instead, that fell on the shoulders of Doncic's business manager, Lara Beth Seager.

"The Dallas Mavericks didn’t tell Luka Doncic, she did," Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal wrote. Somebody had to call him, middle of the night or not, and it was Lara Beth Seager — Doncic’s chief brand officer, business manager, big sister and shoulder to lean on — who let him know he was traded to the Lakers late, late on a February Saturday night.

"He thought it was a joke until it wasn’t, which is when he threw and shattered his iPhone. Since then, it’s been Seager who’s helped him pick up the pieces."

Nico Harrison's Incompetence Becoming a Pattern

It's honestly amazing that Nico Harrison is still in charge of making decisions for the Dallas Mavericks. There was some thought that the Mavs may bring in some experience around him to keep him in place, as they had with Dennis Lindsey two seasons ago, but that hasn't happened. Instead, Harrison is still set to ruin the team as he wants.

Although the current roster is talented, thanks to the incredible luck of landing the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on a 1.8% chance, gifting them Cooper Flagg, it's an oddly constructed team. There is way too much depth in the frontcourt, nowhere near enough talent in the backcourt for today's NBA, and there isn't a lot of proven perimeter shooting.

Nico Harrison has also said he wants to build his team around defense, but there aren't many great perimeter defenders. The interior defense should be outstanding, but this is 2025; stopping the three matters. His statements ever since the trade haven't inspired confidence in the fanbase, so winning games will be the only thing that matters, and it's fair to wonder if this team is talented enough to win.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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