Just when you think the Dallas Mavericks have hit rock bottom, they somehow manage to dig a little deeper.
The trade that sent Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers stunned the NBA world, but for Mavericks fans, it was more than just a blockbuster deal. Dončić’s forced exit marked the end of an era.
More than two months later, the wound still feels fresh — a cut carved into the hearts of Dallas fans by their own GM, Nico Harrison. Just days before his Lakers postseason debut, Dončić got honest about the trade that ended his time in Dallas. The emotion in his words was hard to miss.
Luka Dončić Opens Up About the Mavericks’ Trade
When asked about his feelings on the trade and his matchups against his former team, Dončić did not hold back.
“Sadness mostly. I was still in shock, crazy shock. I feel like my heart was broken, honestly,” Dončić said.
When asked if he initially wanted to finish his career in Dallas, Dončić expressed no doubt, saying that it was always his intention — at least until the rug was pulled from underneath him by Nico Harrison.
“It’s just sad the way [Nico’s] talking right now,” Dončić said.
Dončić’s —and the entire city of Dallas’ — disappointment lies not just in the trade but in the way it was handled. Harrison’s comments in question were made in a closed-door press conference, where the GM doubled down on the organization’s direction. In the press conference, Harrison was a broken record of “defense wins championships.”
“We’re built on defense, and this trade cements us for that,” he stated. “I believe we have a championship-caliber team, not only now but for the future.”
But Dallas fans were not so easily subdued by Harrison’s defense manifesto. The backlash was swift and fierce.
“The ‘he wouldn’t resign’ excuse is no longer usable,” said one user on X.
One tweet called Harrison the “most hated man in Dallas history.”
Nico going down as most hated man in Dallas history☠️🤦🏿♂️
— sin (@grung3leather) April 18, 2025
“The mavs legit got worse in the short term and long term. Not only from a competitive standpoint, but also a financial standpoint,” said another fan.
Adding fuel to the fire were Harrison’s controversial remarks regarding franchise legend Dirk Nowitzki.
“My obligation is to the Dallas Mavericks,” he said when asked about backlash. “Some of those decisions are going to be unpopular—maybe to Dirk and maybe to the fans—but that’s my job.”
If Dončić was the heart of the Mavericks, then Nowitzki was its soul. Harrison’s abrasive dismissal of Nowitzki was a betrayal of the blood, sweat, and tears that the franchise was built on.
Dončić, meanwhile, chooses grace and walks the high road: “I never say anything bad about him. And I just want to move on,” he said. “The fans, my ex-teammates, always keep it hard—it’s time for me to move on from that.”
Moving on is never easy, especially when the parting was never mutual. For Dončić, Dallas was never just a team — it was home, history, and up until recently, his future. Now, as he begins a new chapter in the storied City of Angels, Dončić chooses to look forward.
Scars may fade and jerseys may change, but one thing is certain: Dončić will not allow this trade to define him. He is too gifted and too driven to be reduced to one front office’s mishap and one GM’s tone-deaf words.
Dončić’s path will be his own, no matter where he chooses to pave it.