As a young kid growing up in Lewisville, Texas, some of my fondest memories were going to Dallas Mavericks games with my dad. I sported a Dirk Nowitzki jersey which I still own to this day. I went to countless games including some during the legendary 2011 run to the NBA Finals.
I remember watching the 2018 NBA Draft when the Mavericks selected a 17-year-old Luka Doncic and who frankly I knew nothing about. He then went on to become one of, if not, the best players in the entirety of the NBA.
After leading Dallas to an NBA Finals appearance last along with being named to five consecutive All-NBA teams, something unbelievable happened at midnight last Saturday — Doncic was traded.
Football is by far my No. 1 sport and I consume it more than anything else, so I’ve been trying to rack this in my brain in NFL terms. Unfortunately the trade was so ridiculous I’m unable to think of anything remotely similar.
Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris were shipped to the Los Angeles Lakers while the Mavericks got Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick. The Utah Jazz were involved as well, but no one really cared about their involvement.
This trade is not just one of the craziest trades in NBA history, but sports as a whole. Doncic is one of those players who should be untouchable. No matter the scenario it should be for blockbuster numbers but even then he should not be shipped. In this case, the Mavericks traded Doncic for a bag of chips.
What makes the situation even worse is Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison did not consult with anyone when making this deal. Within his own power, he constructed this deal without talking to Doncic or coach Jason Kidd. You have to imagine you’re making a bad move when Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka hears the offer and responds, “You’re joking, right?”
Harrison cited Doncic’s conditioning as one of the main factors for the trade, mentioning he was not in the best shape to compete for the Mavericks. This “out-of-shape” Doncic is still averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists on the year. In return for the 25-year-old, the Mavericks got 31-year-old Davis, who has played over 60 games once in the past five years.
Harrison emerged as arguably the biggest laughing stock in not just the NBA but across all major professional sports leagues. His reasoning is this is a “win now” move for the Mavericks and was also quoted saying “defense wins championships” in the press conference following the trade. I won’t disagree with the thought of his statement, but there were so many other avenues for the Mavericks to go that would have kept Doncic and provided defense.
This is just the tip of the iceberg with Harrison’s mismanagement of the Mavericks. Look at the same year Doncic was drafted, the Maverick also selected guard Jalen Brunson. Of course, when it came to contract negotiations for Brunson, no one really knew what he’d become. Now, Brunson is one of the best players in the league with the New York Knicks and one of the reasons he is there now is because of Harrison. Literally, everything Doncic enjoyed about being with the Mavericks was slowly but surely ripped away from him from nutritionist to personal trainer, and again Harrison was behind those decisions.
It’s only been a week since the trade has been made and the frustration amongst fellow Mavericks fans is still evident. Harrison will end his tenure as the general manager for all the wrong reasons as we all watch Doncic continue to etch his name further and further into Hall of Fame consideration.
Samuel Higgs is the sports editor of The Outlook. He can be reached at samuel.higgs@alexcityoutlook.com.
