The decision by the Dallas Mavericks to trade superstar Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers five months ago sent shockwaves through the NBA and continues to be a subject of intense discussion. The move, spearheaded by Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, was reportedly predicated on the belief that `defense wins championships,` a rationale that did little to quell the ensuing fan unrest.
The period immediately following the trade proved challenging. The Mavericks saw key player Kyrie Irving sidelined with a torn ACL, an injury impacting his availability for a significant portion of the upcoming season. Fan sentiment reached a boiling point during Dončić`s first return to Dallas, where loud `Fire Nico` chants echoed through the arena. The team subsequently missed the playoffs after a defeat in the play-in tournament. However, fate intervened at the draft lottery, where the Mavericks unexpectedly secured the No. 1 overall pick, enabling them to select highly touted prospect Cooper Flagg.
The addition of Flagg has undeniably brightened the future outlook for the franchise, offering a silver lining to a controversial period. Yet, a segment of the fanbase remains critical of the front office, not only for the trade itself but also for its perceived handling. Despite this lingering discontent, Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban recently expressed his unwavering confidence in Nico Harrison as the team`s general manager.
“Yeah for sure,” Cuban stated on SiriusXM NBA radio. “Trades are trades.” Drawing a parallel from his own history, Cuban referenced the difficult decision in 2004 to let future Hall of Famer Steve Nash depart in free agency – a move that famously netted the Mavericks… absolutely nothing in return, while Nash went on to win two MVP awards elsewhere. “Not every decision is one everyone`s going to agree with,” Cuban acknowledged, “but there`s a lot more to being a general manager. Particularly now with the new CBA and the second apron, trying to put together a team and being able to keep together a team is a lot harder.”
Cuban`s comparison is notable. While letting Nash walk resulted in zero assets, the Dončić trade did yield a package centered around Anthony Davis, a player of considerable caliber. However, the strategic logic of trading a significantly younger franchise cornerstone for an older star with a shorter expected contention window was widely questioned at the time. The subsequent acquisition of Flagg via the lottery feels less like a vindication of the trade strategy and more like a separate, fortunate development that coincidentally improved the long-term picture.
Regarding team building under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), Harrison had previously suggested the team wasn`t confident Dončić would sign the lucrative supermax extension he was eligible for. Dončić himself publicly refuted this upon joining the Lakers, stating his clear intention to sign the deal. Reports have since indicated the Mavericks were not planning to offer the full contract anyway, perhaps influenced by the new CBA`s complexities.
Cuban himself seemed to view the idea of not signing a player of Dončić`s caliber due to CBA concerns as peculiar, especially considering Dončić`s achievements (matching Stephen Curry`s All-NBA First Team selections despite being significantly younger) and recent success (leading the Mavs to the NBA Finals in 2024). Cuban cited the Oklahoma City Thunder as an example of intelligent roster management under the new rules. “You saw what OKC did, which was smart,” Cuban said, referring to their decision to sign Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren to substantial long-term deals now. “They signed them now because the cap is the lowest it`s going to be for a while, and they know it`s going to go up 10% a year, so it kind of positions them well.”
Cuban argued that Harrison is employing a similar strategy. “Nico`s done the same thing. We`ve got guys — everybody but P.J. [Washington]`s on an extended contract. So we`re going to keep on having more and more room because those contracts are locked in.” Indeed, the Mavericks have extended Daniel Gafford, signed Kyrie Irving to a new contract, and P.J. Washington is reportedly in line for an extension. Locking in these deals now could be financially advantageous in the long run.
However, framing these standard procedural extensions for role players and one star (Irving) as comparable to OKC securing its entire young, elite core fresh off a Finals run requires a generous interpretation. Furthermore, Harrison`s position is significantly bolstered not by these contract maneuvers or the original Dončić trade, but by the unexpected lottery victory that delivered Cooper Flagg. Standard operations and strokes of pure fortune, it seems, are being presented as strategic genius.
Cuban`s public declaration of confidence – a shift from earlier post-trade comments where he suggested he would not have made the deal – appears to be influenced by time and, perhaps more significantly, the arrival of Flagg. The unexpected acquisition of another potential generational talent has seemingly eased the pressure and provided cover for past controversial decisions, allowing Cuban to more vocally endorse his general manager.
Jasper Hawthorne