It has been 5 months because the Dallas Mavericks made the surprising choice to commerce franchise centerpiece Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers, and it is nonetheless a significant speaking level across the league. The 2 franchises will likely be tied collectively ceaselessly due to that single transfer, which was executed by Mavericks normal supervisor Nico Harrison, who has repeatedly mentioned “protection wins championships” as an evidence for the deal.
Since that commerce, the Mavericks misplaced Kyrie Irving to a torn ACL in March — which is able to hold him out of a giant portion of subsequent season. The Mavs — geared toward Harrison — obtained boos and protests from their very own fanbase the place “Fireplace Nico” chants may very well be heard somewhat loudly in Dončić’s return to Dallas for the primary time. They missed the playoffs after falling to the Memphis Grizzlies within the play-in spherical, then had the luck of the draw on the draft lottery by touchdown the No. 1 general decide and chosen generational expertise Cooper Flagg.
With the addition of Flagg, the Mavericks’ future is trying far brighter than the one they ended the season with. Some followers will understandably nonetheless maintain some ire towards the entrance workplace for not simply finishing the Dončić commerce, however for the way it was dealt with solely. Nevertheless, Mavericks minority proprietor Mark Cuban nonetheless has confidence in Harrison as the final supervisor of the group.
“Yeah for certain,” Cuban mentioned on SiriusXM NBA radio. “Trades are trades. I let Steve Nash go, and the entire city hated my ass for a very long time. [Nash] goes and wins two MVPs and I acquired nothing again for him. Not each choice is one everybody’s going to agree with, however there’s much more to being a normal supervisor. Notably now with the brand new CBA and the second apron, making an attempt to place collectively a group and with the ability to hold collectively a group is rather a lot tougher.”
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Cuban is after all referring to the controversial choice he made to let Nash, a Corridor of Famer, stroll in free company in 2004 as a substitute of maintaining him alongside Dirk Nowitzki. It was made much more egregious by the truth that Dallas had simply completed a season the place it gained 52 video games and claimed the No. 3 spot within the Western Convention. The Mavericks fell within the first spherical of the playoffs in opposition to the Sacramento Kings, however there was actually one thing constructing with the tandem of Nowitzki and Nash. As a substitute, Nash signed with the Phoenix Suns and instantly gained back-to-back MVP awards.
Within the case of the Dončić commerce, a minimum of Dallas acquired a package deal in return for the All-Star guard that centered round Anthony Davis, who’s a future Corridor of Famer in his personal proper. Nevertheless, with Davis being six years older than Dončić, it made little sense to commerce your future in alternate for a couple of years of competition. Touchdown Flagg has now prolonged the Mavs’ future for much longer, although that has nothing to do with something Harrison did.
With regard to group constructing below the brand new CBA, Harrison did word on the first press convention proper after the Dončić commerce that the group wasn’t assured the Slovenian celebrity would signal the five-year, $345 million supermax contract he was eligible for this summer season. Dončić shot down that hypothesis instantly when he was launched with the Lakers saying he had each intention of signing that deal. Nevertheless it’s additionally been reported that the Mavericks have been by no means going to supply him that full contract anyway, and whereas it is unclear why, maybe it is due to the restrictions that include the brand new CBA.
That looks like a foolish excuse to not signal a man who led you to the NBA Finals in 2024 and has as many All-NBA First Crew picks as Stephen Curry regardless of being over 10 years youthful than him. That is very true if you have a look at what the Thunder simply did contemporary off a title run, giving all three of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren new contracts totaling $822 million.
Cuban used what OKC did for example of how good it’s to signal your main expertise items proper now as a result of of the brand new CBA.
“You noticed what OKC did, which was good,” Cuban mentioned. “They signed all these guys now, and persons are like ‘How might you signal all these guys to cash?’ Nicely, they signed them now as a result of the cap is the bottom it may be for some time, and so they know it may go up 10% a yr, so it type of positions them nicely. Nico’s carried out the identical factor. We have guys — everyone however P.J. [Washington]’s on an prolonged contract. So we’ll carry on having an increasing number of room as a result of these contracts are locked in.”
Positive, the Mavericks gave an extension to Daniel Gafford, signed Irving to a brand new deal, and there is reviews that Washington goes to get an extension, too. In concept, getting these offers carried out now will likely be cheaper for them than ready. However what Harrison and the Mavs are doing is nowhere close to as savvy as what the Thunder have been constructing for years. The Mavericks have been a number of wins away from a championship final summer season and blew up their roster by buying and selling Dončić in February. Harrison would not get factors for lucking into Flagg and giving some position gamers contract extensions. That is simply commonplace working process.
Cuban expressing confidence in Harrison and saying “trades are trades” is actually a change in tune, as he mentioned in earlier appearances after the commerce occurred in February that he would not have traded Dončić. However maybe time passing — and the Mavericks getting one other generational star in Flagg — helped Cuban come round to supporting Harrison extra vocally now.
