Mavericks' Luka Doncic trade narrative flips as Nico replacement race heats up

Ever since the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers last February, there has been tons of speculation about who was actually involved. Even though Nico Harrison said he acted alone, Mavericks fans had their fair share of suspicions about the most controversial trade of all time.

One of the many people Mavericks fans feared was involved in the deal was current co-interim general manager Michael Finley, but he shut down this narrative on Friday night. Finley was working under Harrison at the time of the trade, but this was the first time he publicly pushed back on this wrinkle of the Doncic trade.

Michael Finley shuts down Luka Doncic trade accusations

It was clear that Finley wasn’t a fan of the trade immediately after it happened and wasn't involved, sources told The Smoking Cuban, and for the first time, he spoke out about this. In response to someone on X who accused him of being “complicit in the Luka trade,” he made his stance clear.

“I respect your opinion. But get your facts right. But I love the energy,” Finley said.

Finley finally cleared the air here, and what has been reported for months was just confirmed by Finley himself.

This situation is also notable, given how rarely Finley uses X. He hadn’t tweeted since September of 2025 before responding to a handful of fans on X this weekend, showing how serious this matter is to him. Finley tweets a few times per year at most, and him defending himself on this matter comes at a very interesting time.

This response didn't just clear his name. It also may have given him a better chance to become Dallas' next GM.

Finley makes his case to replace Nico Harrison in Dallas

Finley is among the candidates to become the Mavericks' next general manager, and many Mavs fans have rallied behind him after his bold statement as to why he deserves the job.

He has been the talk of the town since he said, "I am Dallas," and this uprising from the fan base could lead to him gaining some momentum to land the job. Mavericks fans were a big reason why Harrison was fired, and if they push hard enough, this could force Patrick Dumont to consider him even more than he already was.

Mavericks fans' biggest knock on Finley has been the fear that he supported the Luka Doncic trade, considering how close he was with Nico Harrison, but not anymore. Harrison himself said he acted alone, only approaching Rob Pelinka and the Lakers, and while Finley was working under him, he wasn't involved.

He would be an extremely strong option to become the next GM if Dallas hires internally, and whoever the Mavericks hire will be one of the biggest stories of the summer. Mavs CEO Rick Welts said that the team hopes to hire its next general manager before the NBA Draft, and they desperately need to get this decision right to kick off the Cooper Flagg era on the right foot.