Soon, it will be a year since Luka Doncic came to Los Angeles. But how long was the then-GM, Nico Harrison, sitting on the trade decision? ESPN Insider shares that it was not an overnight decision.

The story was right after Luka had suffered his Christmas calf strain. According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, it was the fourth calf strain in about 18 months. Due to the Slovenian’s limited defensive ability, there were constant reports about the team’s worries regarding his weight and conditioning. Nico Harrison, during an off-the-record discussion, said, “It’s always the same problem,” referring to Luka’s conditioning. Since MacMahon was constantly reporting about these issues, he needed the then-GM to take some action.

“So, if you want to complain about his conditioning, put your name on it,” said MacMahon. “So, ‘What are you gonna do about it?’ And I swear to you, Mike, Nico said, ‘If I got to trade him, I’ll trade his a–.’ And like I threw my head back and rolled my eyes because I was like, ‘Sure you will, buddy. Sure, you will.'”

The ESPN reporter did not believe that, since Luka Doncic was the franchise cornerstone. Furthermore, it could have been simple frustration and venting from Nico.

But McMahon later admitted, “And then when Shams’ tweet came through, my initial reaction was, I can’t believe he did. So, you could say I had a six-week heads-up on it. I thousand% did not take that seriously because how many times you talk to people and they’re like blowing off steam and venting and talking big.”

Those decisions were what finally led to Luka Doncic being shipped to the Lakers, and nine months later, it cost Nico Harrison his job. That blockbuster move has been widely criticized by North Texas residents and is now seen as a key factor in the leadership change.

Team owner Patrick Dumont has taken personal accountability for the trade, admitting it was a mistake during a courtside interaction with a fan.

The internal discussion surrounding Nico Harrison’s firing revolved around several points. Growing belief that the executive who orchestrated the Doncic trade shouldn’t guide the post-Doncic era, as the team has failed to see any positives from the move. Additionally, fans were restless at every game, inside or outside the American Airlines Center.

“The rising and virtually ceaseless negativity that surrounds the franchise is indeed wearing on and troubling ownership,” was another reported reason. “Fire Nico! Fire Nico!” chants were heard, and then the front office decided to cut their ties.

Another Nico Harrison trade decision that continues to haunt the Dallas Mavericks

The team had a disappointing 3-8 start to the season, and a loss of confidence within the Mavs’ top office led to Harrison’s firing in early November. Last year, before the deadline, the Mavericks traded Quentin Grimes and a 2025 2nd round pick to the 76ers for Caleb Martin. This move backfired immediately.

In just 28 games last year for the 76ers, Grimes started 25 of them and had a career-high average of 21.9 points. On the other hand, Dallas drew the short straw.

The return, by contrast, offered little resistance. Martin failed to start any of the 14 games he appeared in for Dallas, averaging just 5.4 points per contest. That imbalance has only grown more glaring with time.

Earlier this season, Grimes torched the Mavericks once again at the American Airlines Center – his second such performance there since joining Philadelphia, while Martin was virtually invisible, logging only four minutes in what has become a familiar pattern during his brief stint in Dallas.

Altogether, Grimes has now totaled 47 points across two games in Dallas as a 76er, a recurring reminder of what the Mavericks let slip away. It’s why the criticism has sharpened in hindsight: Harrison either should have extended Grimes over Jaden Hardy, or simply exercised patience and waited out Grimes’ restricted free agency instead of forcing a deal that tilted so heavily in the wrong direction.