Ever since February 1, right before midnight, Dallas Mavericks fans have been furious at Nico Harrison, as he was responsible for trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis out of nowhere. This is a move that Mavericks fans could have never imagined, even in their worst nightmares, and vibes around the team have plummeted ever since as they are poised to secure the No. 10 seed in the Play-In Tournament.
Harrison threw away the present and future for the Mavericks in the blink of an eye by trading Doncic, and every move they made over the past few years to build around Doncic is meaningless now. Dallas lost one of the most spectacular offensive players this game has ever seen for a lackluster return package, and Wednesday night’s game at the American Airlines Center against the Lakers truly exposed how angry Mavericks fans are at Harrison.
There were nonstop “fire Nico” chants at the arena throughout the game, and the cheers for Doncic were louder than the cheers for Maverick buckets. It was one of the most bizarre in-stadium experiences in NBA history due to the love the city of Dallas still holds for Doncic, and Harrison could only watch from the tunnel as Doncic dominated the Mavericks while the fans voiced their displeasure for the move more than they ever have.
While Harrison’s trade for Davis hasn’t panned out yet, next year will be extremely telling of the state of the Mavericks over the next few years, once Kyrie Irving is healthy. Harrison made this trade for Davis with the vision of pairing him next to Irving to chase a title now, and the Mavericks are poised to turn things somewhat around once their star duo is healthy.
On top of everything, Harrison also has the offseason to build the team around Davis and Irving, and one move that he has been advised to make by a former NBA champion could turn the current situation in Dallas into even more of a nightmare.
Kendrick Perkins recently talked about the possibility of Harrison trading for Kevin Durant over the offseason on ESPN’s NBA Today, and this is a move Dallas should stay away from at all costs.
Perkins said that Harrison should trade for Durant as soon as they can to make things “right” from trading Doncic, and the buzz from the trade deadline about Durant coming to the Mavericks will likely heat back up once the season ends. This trade interest from the Mavericks in Durant doesn’t seem as intense as it once was at this point, and while the idea of Durant joining the Mavericks is intriguing on paper, the repercussions of this rumored move are incredibly risky.
Dallas would have to give up first-round draft capital along with a couple of their elite role players to make the salaries work, and the Mavericks’ depth would be completely gone if they made this trade. Their depth, along with excellent superstar play, is what got them to the NBA Finals last season, and electing to run a three-superstar system wouldn’t lead Dallas back to the promised land, and their future would be compromised for years to come.
The Mavericks would be much better off seeing what they have with a Davis-Irving duo instead of making a desperate trade for Durant, and this offseason will be very telling of what the future in Dallas will look like. Harrison has the chance to earn some credibility back from fans with a productive offseason, and it would be in his best interest if these plans don’t include Durant.
“That’s how you make it right if you’re Nico Harrison,” Perkins said. “Go get KD to pair alongside Kyrie and AD.”
