Nico Harrison’s Mavs trade comments could backfire as Luka Doncic nominated for new award

Nico Harrison’s “defense wins championships” comments on Luka Doncic could backfire spectacularly

The Mavericks General Manager seemed to approve this assessment when he stated “Defense wins championships” as justification for trading Luka Doncic from Dallas.

Last season’s playoffs reinforced these arguments, with Doncic facing criticism for his defensive effort and body condition.

However, this summer appears to validate that Harrison’s assessment could be completely misguided.

Doncic has proven all arguments wrong while showing that Harrison’s comments could backfire dramatically.

The Slovenian star appeared more fit with a slimmer physique than previous seasons and has performed exceptionally on defense during EuroBasket 2025.

Most remarkably, Doncic has been nominated for Best Defensive Player at the tournament and currently leads the voting.

His defensive transformation directly contradicts Harrison’s stated reasoning for the trade.

Luka Doncic leads EuroBasket in steals while maintaining offensive excellence

Doncic has demonstrated outstanding defensive effort throughout the tournament, currently topping the steal leaderboard with 3.2 steals per game.

While the competition level differs from NBA standards, the improvement still shows clear development heading into next season.

The complete player transformation extends beyond defense, as Doncic continues dominating offensively.

He leads the points per game leaderboard and recently produced 42 points against Italy, showcasing his two-way excellence.

Even though the Lakers signed former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart to complement Doncic, the Slovenian star might prove he’s evolved into a complete guard package.

Harrison’s trade reasoning appears increasingly flawed as Doncic demonstrates the exact qualities the executive claimed were missing.