Nico Harrison, Not Patrick Dumont, Was Person Who Insisted That Dallas Mavericks Needed To Trade Luka Dončić
According to NBA insider Shams Charania of ESPN, Nico Harrison, and not Patrick Dumont, was the person who insisted that the Dallas Mavericks needed to trade Luka Dončić.
The Mavericks, who fired Harrison on Tuesday, traded Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers last season for Anthony Davis and Max Christie.
A few days after the Mavericks traded Dončić to the Lakers, Dumont insinuated that Dončić didn’t work hard.
“If you look at the greats in the league, the people you and I grew up with — [Michael] Jordan, [Larry] Bird, Kobe [Bryant], Shaq [O’Neal] — they worked really hard, every day, with a singular focus to win,” Dumont said. “And if you don’t have that, it doesn’t work. And if you don’t have that, you shouldn’t be part of the Dallas Mavericks. That’s who we want. I’m unwavering on this. The entire organization knows this. This is how I operate outside of basketball. This is the only way to be competitive and win. If you want to take a vacation, don’t do it with us.”
The Mavericks are 3-8 on the season, while Dončić is averaging 37.1 points per game for the Lakers, who are 8-3.
Davis has played in only 14 games with the Mavericks, who missed the playoffs last season after reaching the NBA Finals in 2024 with Dončić and Kyrie Irving leading the way.
Dallas has appointed Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi as co-interim general managers to oversee basketball operations. A comprehensive search will begin for a permanent replacement.
“This decision reflects our continued commitment to building a championship-caliber organization, one that delivers for our players, our partners, and most importantly, our fans,” Dumont said in a statement.
Dončić appeared in 422 games with the Mavericks. He averaged 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game and made five All-Star teams and five All-NBA teams.
A future Hall of Famer, Luka Dončić signed a three-year, $165 million extension with the Lakers on August 2. He’s expected to spend the rest of his NBA career with Los Angeles.
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