This trainwreck of a season for the [Dallas Mavericks](https://www.mavsmoneyball.com) has been worse than two years ago. Coming off the Western Conference Finals, losing Jalen Brunson for nothing in free agency, the year of JaVale McGee and Christian Wood was painful to watch - but it was not the dumpster fire this current season has careened into. The juxtaposition of an amazing playoff run to league laughing stock twice in four years is mind-boggling. This time, though, it's different - and much worse. Luka Doncic is gone and should not be. There is no recovery from this blunder - the dye is cast.
Yet, being clear-eyed about the future is still possible. This leads to the only question that matters for the only person who can answer it: Will Patrick Dumont pull the plug on the Nico Harrison era before he is allowed to compound his mistake?
Only a fool would think trading Luka Doncic was a smart basketball maneuver, a good piece of fanbase diplomacy, and - frankly - a sound way to manage the profit/loss sheet for the entire organization. So, what happened? A smooth-talking shoe salesman found a way to sell his visceral loathing for the most talented player in franchise history by packaging it in corporate doublespeak. Doncic did not fit the culture, he likely told Dumont. We cannot risk giving this undisciplined kid the supermax, he must have said. By the time he was done, Harrison sold Dumont the worst trade in league history, as if it were a pair of sneakers.
The backlash from fans, the condemnation from pundits, and the on-court meltdown of injuries should be enough to get Harrison canned at the end of the season. To preempt this, he will likely rationalize to Dumont that his vision must be given time to play out and that requires pushing the chips all in.
This will likely take the form of pursuing another “win now” piece - most notably, Kevin Durant. The harm this would do the Mavericks long-term is almost as bad as the decision to trade Doncic. The only question that matters is whether Dumont will agree to double down.
Will he seek advice outside of the organization or will he sign off on a “screw the future” move that brings a will-be 37-year-old star in the twilight of his relevancy at the cost of young talent and draft capital the Mavericks cannot afford to give up? A Durant-led big 3 has been tried before in Brooklyn and Phoenix. Call those teams up and ask for a quick history lesson.
Related
#### [Luka Doncic, Nico Harrison, and the burdens of genius](https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/2/10/24358987/luka-doncic-nico-harrison-dallas-mavericks-los-angeles-lakers-anthony-davis-burdens-of-genius)
Harrison’s presser a day after the Doncic trade made it clear he has no true vision for an organization he does not plan to be a part of into the next decade. Three to four years is only “long-term” for a GM who does not expect to be around to suffer through the fallout of his decisions. Presumably, though, this arena/casino project will take a while for Dumont and company. Will he decide the organization needs a fresh start and clean house? Will he elevate Michael Finley and/or bring in another front-office mind to ring in an era of sanity and restoration? Can the healing begin?
Or must Dallas fans see young talented players like Dereck Lively II, PJ Washington, and others paired up with precious draft picks to acquire a long-in-the-tooth Durant giving Harrison one last chance to pound the proverbial table - demanding the universe show us all he was right about Luka Doncic all along?
Harrison was hired to be a Rolodex of connections. Those relationships have backfired this season. While he succeeded in betting on Kyrie Irving, the All-Star guard likely will not see the floor until 2026. His adoration of Anthony Davis and animosity for Luka Doncic clouded his judgment leading to the end of an era full of promise - and that is beyond a fireable offense.
The only question remaining is which path Patrick Dumont will take. The retool with a new brain trust or the hellscape of a long, uncertain rebuild after the keys are finally taken from the hands of Harrison who has - despite believing he is this saga’s Batman - revealed himself to be a true Joker.