Mavs GM Nico Harrison on stunning Luka Doncic trade: ‘It’s my job to make tough decisions’

In the most shocking trade in Mavericks and perhaps NBA history, Dallas is sending 25-year-old superstar Luka Doncic to the Lakers in a blockbuster that brings perennial All-Star Anthony Davis to the Mavericks.

The news broke late Saturday night, sending shockwaves through the NBA, but with two epicenters: Dallas and Los Angeles.

As part of the three-team deal, which was officially announced at 9:06 a.m. Sunday, the Mavericks are sending Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Lakers. Along with Davis, Los Angeles is sending Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick to Dallas.

League source confirms the unbelievable is true: The Mavericks are trading Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris to the Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick.

— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) February 2, 2025

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Reaction among Mavericks fans ranged from utter shock to outrage that Dallas would trade a transcendent talent and five-time All-NBA first team player who seemingly hasn’t even reached his prime – for a first-round pick and top-ten NBA player, sure, but one who is six years older than Doncic.

“I understand why they would be shocked, initially,” Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison told The News. “But I do believe that we positioned ourselves to win now and also win in the future.

“And that’s ultimately the goal and why we’re here. It’s one of those things where it’s my job to make the tough decisions that put our goals first and foremost.”

How, when and why did this megadeal come to fruition?

Harrison cited his two-decade relationship with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, starting when Harrison was a Nike executive and Pelinka was a player agent.

Harrison told The News that he and Pelinka began having “basketball” conversations more than a month ago.

“Then all of a sudden we’re like, ‘Would you ever do this?’

‘Nah, you’re joking, right?’

‘Hmm. Interesting. Maybe I would.’

Added Harrison: “And then it just built over time over the last three weeks.”

A person familiar with the Mavericks’ thinking told The News that Harrison got full support from team governor Patrick Dumont in the weeks leading to the trade and when it was time to pull the trigger late Saturday night.

Doncic is in his seventh NBA season and averages 28.6 points for his career, third-highest in NBA history to this point.

This season, however, Doncic has only played in 22 games and has missed the last 18 with a left calf strain, drawing even closer scrutiny to his career-long struggles with maintaining optimal conditioning.

Until this trade, Doncic was eligible to receive a five-year, $345 million supermax extension from the Mavericks this offseason, and in recent weeks there had been rumblings about whether Dallas and its franchise face were headed to a precarious crossroad:

Would Dallas offer the supermax? Would Doncic take it, or play one more season and enter unrestricted free agency?

Now that he’s been traded, however, Doncic no longer is eligible for that supermax extension.

“We really feel like we got ahead of what was going to be a tumultuous summer, him being eligible for the supermax and also a year away from him being able to opt out of any contract,” Harrison said. “And so we really felt like we got out in front of that. We know teams, they’ve had it out there, teams have been loading up to try to sign him once that comes available.”

Davis, 6-10 and 250 pounds, last week was named to his 10th NBA All-Star team. He has career averages of 24.2 points and 10.7 rebounds and co-led, with LeBron James, the Lakers to the 2020 NBA championship.

As much as his scoring and rebounding will help Dallas, it’s Davis’ prowess as a five-team All-Defensive team member and three-time NBA blocked shots leader that was coveted by Harrison and Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, who was an assistant on that 2020 Lakers title team.

“We really feel that defense wins championships, and we think the players that we’re bringing in add to the culture, which is important to what J-Kidd and I have been building here from day one,” Harrison said.

“And then obviously, when you get an all NBA player who’s also a first team All-Defensive player, we think that’s gonna help us where we need it the most, on the defensive end.”

Davis primarily has played center the last three seasons for the Lakers and recently told ESPN that he longed for Los Angeles to acquire a center, which would allow Davis to return to power forward, his preferred position and the position he played when Los Angeles won the title.

In joining the Mavericks, Davis will play alongside center Daniel Gafford and eventually Dereck Lively II when he returns from his recent ankle stress fracture.

“I think if you look at the Cleveland Cavaliers, that’s what you’re going to see,” said Harrison, a reference to Cleveland’s imposing frontcourt of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. “Anthony’s probably going to finish games at the five, but you’re going to see those guys play together. And when Lakers won, he played the four.”

Harrison said that as of early Sunday morning, he had not communicated directly with Doncic, but, rather Doncic’s agent Bill Duffy.

Harrison said he did text and leave a phone message for Doncic.

“My guess is he probably doesn’t want to talk to me,” Harrison said.

That probably also reflects the mood of many Mavericks fans, but let’s see how this shocking trade plays out in the coming weeks, years and perhaps a decade.

This bombshell trade reminds older Mavericks fans and reporters of Dec. 26, 1996, when then-acting Dallas general manager Frank Zaccenelli traded 23-year-old Jason Kidd to Phoenix.

Shocking though it was 29 years ago that Dallas was trading a young talent who ultimately would blossom into a Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer and current Mavericks coach, jettisoning Doncic is far more stunning.

The Mavs play the Lakers twice more this regular season: in Los Angeles on Feb. 25 and in Dallas on April 9.

Staff writers Mike Curtis, Lia Assimakopoulos and Tommy Magelssen contributed to this report.

This story will be updated with more information.