
via Imago
Dec 23, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) checks the scoreboard during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

via Imago
Dec 23, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) checks the scoreboard during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
This might be a tricky question, but: Will Dallas forgive Nico Harrison for sending away Luka Doncic? In all fairness, the probability of this happening seems low. After the trade was announced on Saturday, fans flooded the streets to protest, creating a makeshift memorial outside the AAC, at the foot of the statue of Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki.
But, just to let you know, Doncic wasn’t the only one removed from the team. In reality, staff associated with the 25-year-old Slovenian were all removed one by one. First, Anze Macek whom Luka Doncic hired last season as his personal strength coach. And, then, Javier Barrio Calvo, the therapist. Doncic’s performance coach Mike Robertson was also reportedly fired by the Mavericks‘ GM.
However, gone are the days of separation. Why? It looks like Rob Pelinka and Co. are ready to see a grand reunion of Luka Doncic and his personal staff. Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News reported that he spotted Anze Macek and others waiting to enter the Lakers training facility.
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Literally the first person I saw in the parking lot was Slovenian national team strength coach Anze Macek, whom Luka Doncic hired last season as his personal strength coach, but was let go by the Mavericks before this season. https://t.co/Rp1tJVyLGn
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) February 4, 2025
Surely, they weren’t there to simply listen to Doncic speak! There is a deeper implication, just like the secret trade that happened almost a month ago. Both GMs of the teams hushed everything down. And well, Nico Harrison’s true intentions are out before the public now.
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Nico Harrison’s true motives behind trading Luka Doncic in silence
On Jan. 7, Mavericks GM Nico Harrison and Lakers GM Rob Pelinka met in secret at Ascension Coffee, setting the stage for “perhaps the most shocking trade in NBA history.” A month later, they traded Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis, without a single leak.
What’s your perspective on:
Did Nico Harrison just make the biggest mistake in Mavericks history by trading Luka Doncic?
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Executives around the league were furious and envious. “Unfathomable,” said one Western Conference executive. “I’m stunned,” texted an Eastern Conference executive. Yet, despite the shock, sources revealed it was a calculated, direct deal between two men with deep trust, built over decades. Harrison chose a bold strategy. Rather than opening up negotiations, he picked the trade “he wanted,” a move to sidestep Doncic and his agent’s leverage—and avoid fan’s smoldering glare.

via Imago
Jan 15, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (right) and Mark Cuban (left) argue a call during the second half of the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Rob Pelinka and the Lakers were all in. “Nothing could leak. Not a breath of it.” They knew the stakes, having learned from past failures. To pull off such a monumental trade, Harrison trusted only Pelinka to keep it quiet and make it happen.
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In the end, Dallas’ future forgiveness for Nico Harrison remains uncertain. While the city protests and memories of Doncic’s departure linger, the Lakers are ready to embrace their new star, with Harrison’s calculated silence now exposed. As the drama unfolds, one thing is clear: this trade wasn’t just about basketball. It was personal, strategic, and shrouded in secrecy. The impact? Only time will tell.
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Debate
Did Nico Harrison just make the biggest mistake in Mavericks history by trading Luka Doncic?