Longtime Mavericks nemesis boldly jumps to Nico Harrison's defense out of nowhere

The Dallas Mavericks' season was one of the strangest in NBA history. The team started the year with high aspirations, coming off a Western Conference Championship. Things, however, went downhill when injuries and the trade of the century changed the Mavs' fate.

General Manager Nico Harrison did the unthinkable and traded Dallas franchise star Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick. It was the trade of the year, as many fans and analysts questioned the trade. Did Harrison just get finessed by the Los Angeles Lakers? Why make the trade when Doncic was still in the prime of his career?

While people began to search for an answer, it was outlined that Doncic was traded due to his conditioning, among other reasons. In simple terms, Harrison believed Doncic was out of shape and couldn't lead Dallas to win a title. This is something Lakers' head coach JJ Redick hinted at last week, when he stated the team "must get into championship shape." It's unclear who the message was intended for, but all signs point to Doncic.

Udonis Haslem defends Nico Harrison's controversial Luka Doncic trade

Overweight and out of shape or not, trading Doncic is inexcusable. Doncic built a tremendous resume in Dallas. He carried the team to two Western Conference Finals appearances and led the Mavs to the playoffs in four of his six seasons. Not to mention, he also made five all-star appearances and five All-NBA First Team selections. So, trading Doncic seemed like a poor decision.

However, some insiders believe the trade worked in Dallas' favor. Former NBA champion from the Miami Heat Udonis Haslem spoke and commented on the trade this week. Haslem, along with Mike Miller and Penny Hardaway, discussed the infamous deal. They believed the trade took guts and had been poorly judged.

Hardaway commented on the situation, stating that things could have been different if Dallas had been healthy.

"I do believe if that group is healthy, with Kyrie healthy, and everyone healthy, they could be in the Western Conference Finals," Hardaway stated.

Haslem sided with Hardaway, stating "that healthy group with Kyrie can definitely be in the Western Conference Finals."

This is why the podcast crew believed it was hard to blame Harrison for the trade. They argued that the Mavs were full of injuries after the Luka-AD trade, so it was hard to fairly judge the trade. Miller even commented how he "felt bad for Nico" because fans "never really got to judge it (detailing the trade)."

So, is it possible that Haslem and the rest of the crew could be onto something? Sure. For starters, Davis scored 26 points in his first game with Dallas. Things seemed promising, as it was the first time Davis and Irving played together. However, Davis' time would be cut after he strained his left adductor.

Davis' injury put a strain on his time with Irving. The duo came close to playing together again, as Davis ended up returning before the season ended, but Irving's torn ACL ended their development. So, it's now been a what could have been: What would the playoffs look like with a healthy Davis and Irving? Could they have replicated Dallas's success from last season?

It's hard to answer that question, as the team needs other players to be healthy. Assume everyone is 100 percent, then yes. So, to answer the question above, yes, the playoffs would have been quite different. Imagine a healthy Irving and Davis, against a young, inexperienced Houston Rockets team, or their depth inside competing with the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team Dallas had no trouble with this season.

Maybe, just maybe, Haslem is right. Dallas could have been a top-tier team if healthy. Yet, this is an interesting take from a former Miami Heat player. If you recall, Haslem played on the two Miami Heat teams Dallas faced in the NBA Finals. He was on the infamous LeBron James-led group that the Mavs beat in 2011.

The best reasoning is that Haslem has nothing but respect for Nico Harrison. In the podcast, he did mention that Harrison is the one guy "that's gonna stand on business." Haslem believes Harrison is the man who will do what is best for the team if he doesn't like what he sees.

So, while Haslem and the OGs crew have a point, only time will tell if their reasoning is right. If Davis and Irving come back healthy next season and exceed expectations, then it's possible that Nico Harrison was right. Until then, Mavs fans can only watch from the outside, as Luka Doncic is no longer a Maverick.