The Dallas Mavericks might have just had one of the most chaotic seasons in sports history. On Feb. 2, 2025, the team traded superstar Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis — rocking the NBA to its core.
Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison has been under fire for the deal, and “Fire Nico” chants have echoed through Dallas’ American Airlines Arena ever since. Still, Harrison said again on April 15 that he has no regrets and believes the move will pay off in the long run.
On ESPN’s “First Take,” Stephen A. Smith didn’t hold back when reacting to Harrison’s latest press conference.
Stephen A. Smith Blasts Nico Harrison
While speaking with NBA insider Brian Windhorst, Smith let it rip.
“I hate it. First of all, what the hell was that about? No cameras? No tape recorders? I’m just saying — you’ve got a press conference with the media, and they have to negotiate to have tape recorders. That just shows you how much the paranoia has kicked in,” Smith said.
He continued: “It might behoove you to not talk at all. Just let the whole damn season end. Because there is nothing you can do to explain it. Because the real malpractice of all of this is not even about Luka being gone. It’s about the fact that you didn’t get a first-round pick in return … You shut up and you go home.”
"You shut up and you go home. That's what [Nico Harrison] should do." 😳 @stephenasmith says he "hated" Nico Harrison's recent comments on having "no regrets" about trading Luka Doncic 👀 pic.twitter.com/GnyHw33TN5
— First Take (@FirstTake) April 16, 2025
To be fair, Smith’s criticism isn’t totally off base. The Mavericks received Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick in exchange for Dončić — a surprisingly light return for a global megastar who just entered his prime.
Since the trade, the Mavericks have struggled. They’ve gone 13-20, and the roster has been hit hard by injuries. Davis missed a month with an abdominal strain, and Kyrie Irving was lost for the season with a torn ACL.
Had Dallas stayed healthy, you could argue they’d still be in the championship hunt. But that hasn’t been the case. Instead, their on-court struggles have been matched by off-court drama.
The Maverick are now limping into an April 16 Play-In Tournament matchup against the Sacramento Kings. If they win, they’ll face the Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 8 seed and a shot at a first-round series with the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.
Either team would have their hands full with Oklahoma City. The Thunder finished the season with 68 wins. The first team to win at least 68 games since the 2015-2016 Golden State Warriors won an NBA record 73 games.