Mavericks rumors: Remember when Michael Finley stole Luka Doncic’s beer? It was allegedly returned

Back in February, it seemed like every piece of damning evidence pointing towards the inevitability of the Dallas Mavericks' decision to trade away Luka Doncic came out on social media. One of those was the footage of Michael Finley, who is now the interim general manager of the Mavs after Nico Harrison's firing, snatching away the can of beer that Doncic was holding during their celebration of their triumph over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2024 Western Conference Finals.

This led many to believe that Finley was among those in the Mavericks organization who believed that Doncic's habits were not the healthiest and that if those persisted, he might be prone to more injuries moving forward.

But according to NBA insider Marc Stein, Finley was a supporter of Doncic within the organization — even being one of those who “voiced the strongest opposition to the Dončić deal at the time it was presented”.

In fact, that viral video where Finley snatched Doncic's beer reportedly does not tell the whole story. As per Stein, the drink was reportedly returned to Doncic when he was no longer in public view during their celebrations in Minneapolis.

The rationale behind Finley's decision to grab the can of beer from Doncic's grasp was that the Mavericks organization simply believed that it would be best for their superstar to conduct interviews and face the media without an alcoholic beverage in his fingertips.

Nonetheless, it is still funny to think that the Mavericks believed that Doncic needed to overhaul his entire habit system, and when he didn't, that's what led to his exit. Because that Doncic trade remains the most asinine decision in the history of professional sports, and it may not even be close.

Was Mavericks' decision to trade Luka Doncic a Nico Harrison one-man crusade?

It's hard to believe that the Mavericks would have traded Doncic simply because of Harrison's whims. He's not the only executive with decision-making powers in that org, so the ownership group that greenlit the deal has to share a considerable part of the blame as well.

The Doncic trade remains an unmitigated disaster, and the general manager who'll be taking over for the Mavs will need a lot of fortitude and luck as he tries to clean up the mess his predecessor made.