Dallas Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison seems to have lost favor with other league executives after the Luka Doncic trade. The only executive he spoke with about a potential deal was Los Angeles Lakers GM Rob Pelinka, and according to ESPN, this has sparked anger and envy among other teams.

“Executives from around the league were both furious and jealous that the flashy, star-driven Lakers had been the only team given a chance to bid for Doncic’s services.”

It’s easy to see why they are frustrated. There isn’t a team in the league that wouldn’t have jumped at the chance to acquire a generational talent like Doncic, yet only the Lakers had the opportunity. The only other team to have some knowledge of the deal beforehand was the Utah Jazz.

However, the Jazz didn’t know the specifics. ESPN reports that the Jazz and their CEO, Danny Ainge, only learned they were helping the Lakers land Doncic about 30-60 minutes before the trade was finalized.

Considering Ainge’s background with the Boston Celtics, he may have refused to assist had he known, which could explain why the Jazz were informed so late. It certainly seemed like underhanded tactics. In the end, the Jazz took on Jalen Hood-Schifino’s contract in exchange for two second-round picks to finalize the deal.

Harrison’s choice to speak only with the Lakers is puzzling, as common sense suggests that you’d want to create a bidding war when parting with a superstar. Many teams likely would have been willing to trade valuable draft picks, young players, or even stars for Doncic, yet Harrison never considered this. So, what was his reasoning?

“Harrison decided early on, team sources said, that the best way to trade a player of Doncic’s caliber was to pick the trade that he wanted, rather than open up the process, to avoid Doncic and his agent exerting their own leverage. It would also avoid the fan backlash that might influence the deal.”

This approach is intriguing. If news had leaked that the Mavericks were shopping Doncic, fans would likely have reacted strongly, possibly forcing ownership to intervene and stop the trade talks.

By keeping the deal under wraps, the trade went through smoothly without fan protests, but now they are furious. Some Mavericks fans even brought a coffin to the American Airlines Center to express their displeasure. Many online have expressed they are done supporting the team, and it’s hard to remember when a fanbase has been this upset. It’s difficult to tell whether Mavericks fans or rival executives are more upset about the trade.

Returning to the report, Harrison believed the best way to trade Doncic was to find a player who would fit with the Mavericks, and that player was Anthony Davis. He reached out to the Lakers, but the problem was that he didn’t end up with a strong enough return.

The Mavericks received Davis, Max Christie, and an unprotected 2029 first-round pick from the Lakers for Doncic. This wasn’t a great return, and it turns out Harrison initially wanted more.

According to Kirk Goldsberry, Harrison’s initial ask was for Davis, Dalton Knecht, and several first-round picks for Doncic. However, Pelinka convinced him that Doncic’s health and off-court habits made the trade a risky move for the Lakers, so they ended up with him at a bargain price.

Harrison was concerned that Doncic and his agent might use leverage if they knew a trade was being discussed. This could have led to the Mavericks getting a lesser return, but that ultimately happened anyway.

The trade package was disappointing, and they likely could have received much more even if Doncic, who is averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 2.0 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game in 2024-25, had used his leverage. This trade may go down as one of the worst in NBA history, but Harrison stands by his decision, and only time will tell if it was the right one.