Harrison continues his defense.
The infamous trade that went down in the middle of a quiet night in February will always be remembered by Mavericks fans, no matter what path the franchise goes down over the coming years. General manager Nico Harrison and team governor Patrick Dumont were at the forefront of the shocking move that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. They’ve faced plenty of heat since.
The deal brought Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick to Dallas. However, the haul feels pretty light considering Doncic is about to enter his prime. Other standouts around the league such as Mikal Bridges and Kevin Durant brought in far more draft assets in their respective trades.
Harrison finally spoke to the media twice in the last week and he’s done nothing but defend the move. He believes Davis brings a larger two-way impact to the table
Apr 9, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison (grey suit) looks on during the first quarter of the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
“I think the biggest thing is if you don’t value AD as an All-NBA player and All-Defensive player, then you’re not going to like the trade,” Harrison said on Monday according to The Dallas Morning News’s Mike Curtis.
Harrison again decided to harp on the word that has arguably become the most popular in his vocabulary – defense. He says that the Mavericks want to build around that end of the court.
“When you trade a guy of Luka’s caliber, you’re not taking it lightly so we discussed everything,” Harrison added. “But we really felt like defense is our calling card and what we’re going to hang out hat on, so when you have the opportunity to get one of the best two-way players in the league, we jumped at that opportunity.
Davis lives up to the billing of one of the best two-way players in the league – when he’s healthy. He recently turned 33 years old has played in 56 or fewer games in four of the past five seasons.
Apr 18, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) reacts during a time out in the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
That includes just nine regular-season games and two play-in appearances for the Mavericks due to an adductor injury in his debut.
The criticism surrounding Harrison’s plan for the Mavericks is under scrutiny and it’s more than warranted.