Shocking confession: Mavs GM Harrison 'didn't know how much the fanbase love Luka Doncic'

Dallas Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison has admitted he significantly underestimated the depth of fan loyalty and affection for Luka Doncic before the controversial trade that sent the five-time All-NBA guard to the Los Angeles Lakers. While acknowledging he knew Doncic was important to the fanbase, Harrison stated he "didn’t quite know it to what level."

Harrison explained that he anticipated some blowback from the trade but believed it would have lessened sooner if the key players acquired from the Lakers – Anthony Davis, alongside Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, and Dereck Lively II – had been able to play together consistently. He felt that a healthy unit "would have been winning at a high level and that would have quieted some of the outrage." However, injuries significantly limited the time these players spent on the court together, particularly the star pairing of Davis and Irving, which prevented the expected easing of fan anger, causing it to "continue to go on and on.

Luka Doncic arrived in Dallas carrying immense expectations, immediately stepping into the enormous shoes left by franchise icon Dirk Nowitzki. For over two decades, Dirk was the soul of the Mavericks, a single-franchise superstar who led them to their first NBA championship. Doncic quickly became the new face of the franchise, dazzling fans with his unique offensive talent and carrying the team, culminating in a run to the NBA Finals last season. He was widely seen as the successor who would bring the next championship era to Dallas, making his departure incredibly difficult for a fanbase deeply attached to its superstar torchbearers.

Despite the persistent criticism, Harrison continues to defend the trade as the necessary step towards building a championship contender. He insists that the team the Mavericks have assembled, once healthy, is "championship caliber." He expressed full expectation for Kyrie Irving to be back with the team next season and believes they will be "competing for a championship."

Harrison also mentioned that the team anticipates getting a good player with their 11th pick in this year's draft and didn't rule out further changes in free agency.

The GM previously defended the trade by repeatedly emphasizing that "defense wins championships," comments that Doncic himself publicly described as "sad." When asked about this exchange, Harrison, who confirmed he hasn't spoken to Doncic since the trade, responded, "I feel the same way he does. I’ve actually never spoken ill of Luka, and I’m just ready to move on with this team that we have."