Mavericks GM Nico Harrison doubles down on Luka Doncic trade as fans call for firing: 'No regrets'

Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison is inactive weathering the tempest caused by fans’ backlash implicit the Luka Doncic commercialized to the Los Angeles Lakers. 

That commercialized hasn’t looked bully for the Mavericks since it went down successful the precocious hours connected Feb. 1, arsenic they hardly hung connected to a Play-In Tournament effect (No. 10), wherever they volition look the Sacramento Kings connected Wednesday aft finishing 39-43 during the regular season. 

But contempt the outrage from the instrumentality base, arsenic good arsenic the 13-20 grounds since trading Doncic, Harrison said "no regrets" person travel astir making the woody with the Lakers.

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Dallas Mavericks wide manager Nico Harrison (right) looks connected during warms up earlier the crippled betwixt the Dallas Mavericks and the Memphis Grizzlies astatine the American Airlines Center. (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)

Harrison spoke to media members connected Tuesday, alongside Mavericks CEO Rick Welts, wherever lone Dallas-based reporters were contiguous to inquire questions. 

"There’s nary regrets connected the trade," Harrison said, via ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. "Part of my occupation is to bash the champion happening for the Mavericks, not lone today, but besides successful the future, and immoderate of the decisions I’m going to marque are going to beryllium unpopular. 

"That’s my job, and I person to basal by it."

MAVERICKS FANS EJECTED OVER ‘FIRE NICO’ PROTESTS AMID GROWING ANIMOSITY OVER LUKA DONCIC TRADE

Harrison besides continued his stance that "defense wins championships," which is what helium said erstwhile acquiring All-Star halfway Anthony Davis, the item of the Lakers’ bundle for Doncic. 

"But our philosophy, similar I said, going guardant is defence wins championships, and we’re built connected defense," Harrison explained, via ESPN. "And this commercialized cements america for that."

FC Dallas fans clasp up a Fire Nico motion for Dallas Mavericks wide manager Nico Harrison during the archetypal fractional of the crippled betwixt FC Dallas and Chicago Fire astatine Toyota Stadium. (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)

Davis, though, has played lone 9 games successful a Mavericks azygous since being traded, arsenic helium suffered a near abductor wounded during his squad debut. Also, Kyrie Irving, the dynamic constituent defender who worked alongside Doncic good connected their mode to the NBA Finals past season, suffered a torn ACL aft the trade, creating a monolithic nonaccomplishment successful the starting five.

The Doncic woody amazed rather virtually the full hoops world, but Harrison was precise secretive astir dealing with the Lakers due to the fact that helium said, "You can’t store your champion player."

"It’s not liable due to the fact that a commercialized mightiness not work," Harrison said, per The Athletic. "And past they person to yet play nether the scrutiny of being shopped."

The woody wasn’t thing fans wanted to see, and they’ve fto it beryllium known by having a "funeral" with a casket and each extracurricular American Airlines Center successful Dallas, the location of the Mavericks, portion determination person been accordant "Fire Nico" chants astatine location games with the squad struggling.

Los Angeles Lakers defender Luka Doncic (77) and Dallas Mavericks defender Kyrie Irving (11) effort to summation power during the archetypal 4th astatine Crypto.com Arena. (Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images)

It got to its loudest erstwhile Doncic returned to Dallas successful a Lakers azygous connected April 10, and helium proceeded to driblet 45 points successful the 112-97 triumph for his caller team. 

MacMahon reports that the squad is "projected to suffer dozens of millions" successful this play alone, arsenic Mavs fans garbage to amusement up for games, portion merchandise income are down and adjacent sponsors person divided from the organization. 

"Well, the quality of Dallas is it is simply a passionate instrumentality base," Harrison added. "For america to scope retired goals, we request that instrumentality base. 

"And to beryllium honorable with you, each commercialized I’ve ever made since I’ve been present has not been regarded arsenic a bully trade, and truthful sometimes it takes time. When I traded for Kyrie, it was met with a batch of skepticism, and it was graded arsenic a unspeakable trade, and you didn’t spot it close away, but yet everyone agreed that that was a large trade."

Dallas Mavericks wide manager Nico Harrison during the crippled betwixt the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers astatine American Airlines Center. (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)

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Harrison is hoping clip is much gracious with the Mavericks with this deal, 1 that sent the look of the franchise retired west. 

The Lakers person gone 22-13 since the Doncic trade. 

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