Things could be going a bit better for the Dallas Mavericks right now, and they likely would be if they had not traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in February.
Although it appeared that polarizing Mavs general manager Nico Harrison had lucked out by getting the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft, thus allowing him to take highly anticipated prospect Cooper Flagg, Dallas has proven to be among the worst teams in the league so far this season. At 3-8, only the New Orleans Pelicans have a worse record in the Western Conference, and the losing apparently has Harrison on the hot seat and team owner Patrick Dumont admitting they made a mistake in trading Doncic.
Shortly after the trade, which saw Dallas shockingly send Doncic, a five-time first-team All-NBA selection and perennial MVP candidate, to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis and Max Christie and not much else, Dumont intimated that Doncic was traded because he didn't work hard enough and wasn't solely dedicated to winning. Like Harrison, who reportedly felt Doncic had a poor work ethic and lifestyle habits, the comments earned Dumont criticism from fans and analysts, many of whom pointed to Doncic's on-court success, such as leading the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2024.
Now, though, Dumont regrets the trade, at least according to Nicholas Dickason, an 18-year-old fan who sat next to the Mavs owner a few weeks after flipping Dumont the bird, for which his father said he needed to personally apologize to Dumont.
“Dumont smiled several times throughout the conversation and was receptive to the apology, Dickason said, while stating the governor admitted to a level of remorse for the unpopular decision,” the Dallas Morning News' Tim Curtis wrote.
“‘He said he was trying to do what’s best for the organization,' Dickason said, ‘and ‘Sometimes you have good intentions and you make mistakes.' We all do it.'”
The alleged admission would seem in line with recent reporting, which has indicated that Dumont is nearing a final decision to fire Harrison, who signed a contract extension in July 2024 and received public support from Dumont in the wake of the Doncic trade. Harrison has been the Mavericks' GM since 2021, when Mark Cuban was still the team's owner. Cuban announced he was selling the franchise to Dumont and his stepmother, Miriam Adelson, more than a year later.
The Mavericks are set to continue a four-game home stand tomorrow vs. the Phoenix Suns.
