Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison Speaks on Luka Dončić Trade at Press Conference

As the 2024-25 season with the Dallas Mavericks has come to an end, general manager Nico Harrison addressed the media on Monday afternoon during the team’s yearly concluding press conference.

It marked his first time addressing the media directly via video since the shocking event. Luka Doncic trade in February.

In addition to managing trades, the team also had to cope with numerous injuries to crucial players including Anthony Davis , Kyrie Irving , Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II. These injuries hampered the Mavericks' ability to put forth a competitive lineup for most of the final two months of the season. Following the trade, the team posted an 13-20 record and ultimately concluded the campaign as the tenth seed in the Western Conference.

Last week, Harrison, together with the team's CEO Rick Welts, spoke to the press. private roundtable discussion For the first time since the trade, however, photography wasn't permitted, and attendance was restricted to invited guests only.

Harrison kicked off the press conference with brief remarks commending the Mavericks' coaching team and conveying his positive outlook for the upcoming season.

"Defense secures titles, so we’re focusing heavily on our defensive game. We’ll be bringing back one of the top frontlines in the NBA and boast both depth and versatility off the bench," he stated.

Thanks to our supporters, we're dedicated to returning next year more powerful than before. Each choice made this season will focus on striving for victory, with the aim to carry home a title for Dallas once again.

Subsequently, representatives from the press began posing their queries, with considerable emphasis placed on the recent Luka Doncic trade.

"Defense wins championships"

During a closed-door discussion with journalists, Harrison frequently stated “defense wins championships” when addressing queries regarding the Luka Doncic trade. The reporters posed several questions concerning this rationale.

During an interview, Harrison was questioned about his opinion on whether constructing a formidable defensive team around Doncic capable of contending for a title would be unachievable, even though they made it to the NBA Finals in 2024.

"I believe it’s more about strengthening our defensive strategy. As mentioned earlier, when we had the chance to acquire Anthony Davis, who is among the top two-way players in the league, we seized that opportunity," Harrison stated.

A different journalist followed up, inquiring whether Harrison believed Doncic could be considered a championship-caliber player.

"It’s somewhat of an uneven query. Luka isn’t part of our squad anymore. However, I’m enthusiastic because I think we have a team capable of winning a championship. We’ll demonstrate that next season," Harrison stated.

Nico Harrison regarding public response to the Luka Doncic trade

The anger from the Mavs fan base following the Doncic trade has been one of the biggest stories since it happened, with protesting fans being ejected from the arena and demonstrations before games.

Harrison said he knew Doncic was important to the fans, but not to the level that a trade would elicit the reaction it did.

"The way we looked at it is, you know, if you're putting a team on the floor that's Kyrie [Irving], Klay [Thompson], PJ [Washington] Anthony Davis and [Dereck] Lively, we feel that's a championship-caliber team. And we would have been winning at a high level and that would have quieted some of the outrage. And so unfortunately we weren't able to do that, so it just continued to, you know, go on and on."

Nico Harrison on the "Fire Nico" chants

A journalist highlighted how Mavericks supporters at the American Airlines Center were demanding Harrison’s dismissal, questioning why Harrison believes he deserves to retain his position.

"I think I've done a really good job here. And I don't think I can be judged by the injuries this year. You have to judge the totality, from beginning to end. And so I think I have a really good working relationship with [owner] Patrick [Dumont]. I think you had in [CEO] Rick [Welts], the leadership that we have is really elite. And you'll see next year when our team comes back, we're going to be competing for a championship," Harrison said.

Nico Harrison regarding handling the press

A journalist inquired of Harrison regarding how the squad managed interactions with the press after the Luka Doncic trade. Since the management provided scant details, both the athletes and mentors had to field queries from members of the media.

"When I reflect on it now with hindsight, we could have done things differently. The aim has always been to face the media head-on; that’s an integral part of the role and a responsibility we embrace. Additionally, we intended to hold discussions once we finalized our roster. We envisioned putting together a team featuring players like Kyrie [Irving], Klay [Thompson], Anthony Davis, PJ [Washington], and Dereck [Lively]. This lineup would allow fans to understand our strategic direction. Unfortunately, this scenario didn’t materialize, leaving us without a suitable opportunity to achieve these goals," Harrison stated.