Mavs GM makes head-scratching statement about fans' love for Luka Doncic after trade

The Dallas Mavericks made the shocking determination to commercialized Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers earlier the deadline earlier successful the play – a determination that volition apt haunt the team's instrumentality basal for years to come.

Mavericks wide manager Nico Harrison’s answers connected the commercialized person not sat good with anyone who enjoys the NBA oregon are fans of the team. On Monday, Harrison addressed the commercialized erstwhile again aft the team’s playoff hopes were dashed successful the play-in tournament.

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Mavericks wide manager Nico Harrison during the crippled against the Los Angeles Lakers astatine American Airlines Center successful Dallas, April 9, 2025. (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)

"I did cognize that Luka was important to the instrumentality base," Harrison told a tiny radical of reporters. "I didn't rather cognize it to what level."

The Lakers’ Doncic acquisition re-energized the team’s NBA title chances. He averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists successful 28 games for the Lakers.

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Nico Harrison, the Mavericks' wide manager, watches the squad play against the Toronto Raptors successful Dallas, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Harrison said helium expected disapproval from the commercialized but thought it would person died down sooner if Anthony Davis was capable to play much with Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington and Dereck Lively II. Davis suffered an wounded successful the archetypal crippled helium played for Dallas. Irving suffered a season-ending wounded arsenic well.

"We consciousness that’s a championship-caliber squad and we would person been winning astatine a precocious level and that would person quieted immoderate of the outrage," helium added. "And so, unfortunately, we weren’t capable to bash that, truthful it conscionable continued to spell connected and on."

Minnesota Timberwolves guardant Jaden McDaniels reaches successful connected Lakers defender Luka Doncic during their first-round playoff crippled connected Saturday, April 19, 2025, successful Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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History volition find however the commercialized yet is looked at. But the Lakers adding Doncic to an aging LeBron James was decidedly the champion thought for their future.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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