Mavs ownership fully backs bold reason Nico Harrison traded Luka Doncic to Lakers

Just over a week ago, the Dallas Mavericks changed NBA history forever when they traded Luka Doncic, Markieff Morris, and Maxi Kleber to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a first-round pick. No one knew that Dallas was even exploring trading Doncic, and this move has had fans buzzing ever since.

Fans couldn't believe that the team would trade Doncic, and their disbelief quickly turned to anger over the following days, even to the point of a crowded protest outside of the American Airlines Center in PNC Plaza before Dallas' game against the Houston Rockets on Saturday. Doncic had just taken the Mavericks to the NBA Finals eight months prior, and he was nearing a return from a calf injury.

It was undoubtedly one of the most shocking moves in NBA history, and the world was so shocked because Nico Harrison and Rob Pelinka kept these conversations (which began in early January) so quiet. While Harrison and Pelinka kept Jeanie Buss (Lakers owner) and Patrick Dumont (Mavericks governor) in the loop of what was going on, the talks were never leaked, and that's why the trade was such a shock to those involved, even the players and agents involved along with the head coaches of both teams.

Doncic had no clue that he was about to get traded, and as time went on, some clarity was provided as to why Harrison and the Mavericks moved on from a 25-year-old generational superstar so suddenly.

Harrison and Dumont hint at concerns over Doncic's impact on culture

It was reported the night that the trade went down that the Mavericks had deep concerns about Doncic's conditioning, and these concerns extended into his off-court habits and diet. The team believed that his conditioning struggles were playing a significant role in his injuries, and Dallas moved on about a week before he was scheduled to return to the floor.

Harrison provided more context just over 12 hours after the trade went down last Sunday in Cleveland when he addressed the media, and it seemed as if he believed Doncic didn't "add" to the Mavericks' culture.

"One thing about me, I’m not gonna talk bad about any players," Harrison said. "That’s not gonna do us or me any good. I just say there’s levels to it and there’s people who fit the culture and there’s people who come in and add to the culture. And those are two distinct things and I believe that the people that are coming in are adding to the culture."

Harrison never said that Doncic was bad for the culture, but he implied that Davis and Christie were two players who would add to the team's culture while Doncic was just someone who fit the culture.

While Harrison has not spoken to the media since last Sunday, Dumont spoke to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News for an exclusive interview in a story that was posted on Sunday, and he seems to have similar beliefs as Harrison (subscription required) when it comes to the culture.

"In my mind the way teams win is by focus, by having the right character, by having the right culture, and having the right dedication to work as hard as possible to create a championship-winning outcome," Dumont said. "And if you’re not doing that, you’re going to lose."

Despite reaching the Finals last season, it seems as if Dumont didn't believe that Doncic was a relentless worker and wasn't a great fit into the team culture. In his conversation with Townsend, Dumont continued to talk about how players like Shaquille O'Neal, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant were relentless workers whose "singular focus" was to win.

"And if you don’t have that, it doesn’t work," Dumont said. "And if you don’t have that, you shouldn’t be part of the Dallas Mavericks."

Dumont then talked about how that is the type of player that they want playing for the Mavs, and the Dallas Morning News let him now that people are going to infer that he believed Doncic didn't fit those qualities of a "winning culture."

"Look, I think there’s a lot of things that come into play when you decide the roster of the team," Dumont said. "And culture is very important. That’s what we’re focused on."

Taking all of Dumont and Harrison's comments into consideration, it seems like both of them didn't believe in Doncic's long-term fit with the organization. They believed that this move to trade Doncic for Davis was going to help them win a championship, and they were fine with moving on from Doncic before he hit his prime.

Despite Doncic making it clear that he planned to sign the supermax extension with the Mavericks this summer, there was fear from Dallas' side that he may not sign the extension and overall fear of giving him the contract. Teams were gearing up to try to pursue Doncic in the summer of 2026 (if he were to opt out of his player option), and Dallas decided to move on from him before any of that was possible.

These comments about Doncic coming out after the trade went down have only made the fanbase more furious, and Doncic clearly isn't happy with the Mavericks as well. He planned to retire a Maverick and do whatever he could to bring a championship to Dallas, and now he may never have the opportunity to do that.