Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison is striving to move on from the controversial trade of Luka Dončić, yet a closed-door meeting with the media didn’t help his case. Earlier this season, Harrison made headlines by sending Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for a package centered around Anthony Davis. This week, he and team president Rick Welts attempted to address the press but limited cameras and attendance to selected members of the Dallas media, which only intensified scrutiny following the closed-door meeting.
On Friday afternoon, ESPN aired a segment featuring Malika Andrews interviewing Dončić on NBA Today. During this interview, Andrews shared an exchange from the closed meeting that included a comment from ESPN reporter Tim MacMahon. “Luka Doncic tells @malika_andrews about throwing his phone and breaking it when he found out he got traded to the Lakers 😳,” a tweet from ESPN read, revealing Dončić’s devastation, “My heart was broken honestly.” 💔 pic.twitter.com/rfsIGlOaBC
— ESPN (@espn) April 18, 2025
During the discussion, the reporter asked Harrison about his skepticism regarding the team that reached the Finals with Dončić as the centerpiece, to which Harrison replied, “I’ll say this again, defense wins championships.” Andrews then prompted Dončić to respond to Harrison’s suggestion that his defense was the reason for the Mavericks’ struggles. Dončić expressed his disappointment, stating, “It’s just sad, the way he’s talking right now. I never said anything bad about him. And I just want to move on. The fans, my ex-teammates, I’ll always keep at heart. It’s time to move on from there.”
Andrews inquired whether Dončić had communicated with Harrison on the night of the trade or afterward, to which Dončić firmly replied “no.” The careers of Dončić and Harrison are now eternally intertwined due to the historic trade that transpired on February 1. While the initial shock has made it challenging for Dončić to let go of his nearly seven years in Dallas, as long as he remains an MVP-caliber player, Harrison will continually face questions about the trade. Limiting the media’s ability to ask those questions won’t alter that reality.
