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Dallas Mavericks
Los Angeles Lakers
Aug 5, 2025 1:50 PM EDT
It’s hard to feel sorry for the Dallas Mavericks and Nico Harrison, although it’s easy to feel sorry for the fans.
Months after trading away Luka Doncic in a baffling deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, the superstar guard has agreed to a three-year maximum contract extension to stay in Hollywood long-term. In the deal that sent him to LA, the Lakers received Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and only a single first-round pick.
Given that lesser players like Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, and Mikal Bridges have been traded in recent years for up to five first-round picks, it was extra confusing why the Mavericks were able to command only a single pick.
It turns out, they didn’t push for extra capital simply because they assumed Doncic would explore free agency regardless of what team he played for.
Oh, they could not have been more wrong.
“If you look back on the negotiations with the Mavericks and Nico Harrison, they essentially used the fear of not being able to re-sign Luka as one of the justifications for not having another first-round pick in that deal,” said The Athletic’s Sam Amick.
Doncic had long made it clear to the Mavericks’ organization that he wanted to end his career where it started, going as far as to call himself a “Texan” on multiple occasions.
Somehow, Harrison and the rest didn’t seem to be listening, as they thought there was a very real chance he would leave in free agency, despite no evidence backing that up. Asa result, the Mavericks showed no interest in rebuilding for a post-Luka and Davis future.
Of course, Dallas lucked out, winning the draft lottery and selecting Cooper Flagg, but it’s worth noting that until that 1.8 percent chance cashed in, Harrison and the Mavericks had no plan for after Davis, 32 and often injured, gets past his prime.
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Jonah Kubicek