Three months after swapping Luka Doncic from Mavericks for the Lakers, GM Nico Harrison is still being called out. The former mayor of Dallas has become the latest to attack him.
The Dallas Mavericks arguably made the most shocking deal in NBA history when they sent Luka Doncic to Los Angeles Lakers. Since then, GM Nico Harrison has been a hot topic center.
Most of them are not positive. Harrison, of course, received a vote for the Executive of the Year Award. Luke’s trade is widely considered to be in awful motion, and he is panned badly for it.
But not everyone hates it. NBA legend Penny Hardaway recently praised Nico on the Don Chic trade. These opinions have grown a bit more popular after the Lakers crashed in the first round of the playoffs.
The sense of betrayal within Dallas itself has not disappeared. And the former mayor, a prominent figure in the city, is now giving his opinion on the decision.
Thomas Repert is a Dallas businessman who was the city’s mayor from 2007 to 2011. He is the city’s 58th mayor and is still very involved in the community.
Leppert wrote an article about the Dallas Morning News trading. In it, he accused Harrison of trading on personal reasons.
“A more than just a basketball blunder, this deal represents an incredible failure of leadership at all levels, a waiver of an implicit moral contract between a team and its community,” writes Leppert for Dallas Morning News.
“Yes, defense is important, but the modern NBA is driven by offensive efficiency, elite shot creation and versatility. Luke has been personified.
“Does it make sense to break almost half of offensive production to win the championship? And don’t forget: Mavs led by Luke made the NBA Finals last year! This was not personal, nor strategic.
“When you’re the admin of a sports franchise, you’re the admin of public trust. This wasn’t just a bad deal. It was a betrayal and a violation of that trust. It should be hard to win.”
Dallas has not been able to make the playoffs this season. Anthony Davis was injured for several weeks. Kyrie Irving tore the ACL to put his final claws in the co, despite the ads being able to return in time for the postseason.
Irving provided an update on his recovery from his injury, and it sounds positive. However, he is likely to miss at least half of the next regular season. This is not ideal for MAVs.
Nico Harrison needs to make another move this offseason. There is a potential master plan to acquire LeBron James, but that doesn’t seem like that.
Kevin Durant may be a more realistic option, but trading him requires many of the franchise’s biggest assets. Nico needs to win as soon as possible, so it’s possible for him to make such a deal.
Either way, Harrison and Dallas will need to do another splash in the offseason. If they aren’t, if the next season begins with disappointment, his job might be one of the first things to go to.