The more time the Luka Doncic trade simmers, the greater the amount of unbelievable information seems to splash. Nico Harrison becoming a villain in Dallas has now become old news. But the suspected reasons behind trading Doncic are startling. They didn’t even start this season. It was apparently part of a ripple effect that began a year before the Mavericks even made the NBA Finals.

Notably, it started with Casey Smith, the Mavs’ former director of health and performance, being let go by Harrison. Smith had served the Mavericks since 2004 and is regarded as one of the best in his duties. Smith even served for the Team USA basketball team for eight years, doing a splendid job. He got the nod from Dirk Nowitzki for being a virtuoso at managing players’ health. Furthermore, he also built a close bond with Doncic, helping him transition from Spain.

Prior to his firing, though, Nico Harrison had only met Smith once. The next time they interacted was through a video conference where the now Knicks employee was informed his services weren’t needed anymore. But why the sudden decision? According to an anonymous team source, it’s because the Mavs GM felt his authority was challenged by Smith’s close dynamic within the franchise.

“He was 100 percent threatened by him. He’s going to show that I’m in charge and nobody else can question that,” they told ESPN.

The question about letting go of a master at his work continues to haunt Harrison. In a season riddled with injuries and setbacks, many felt Casey Smith’s past success would have helped avoid such a debacle. However, Harrison maintains his disposition. He feels the replacements are “better”.

Not only that, but during his recent closed-door media appearance, Nico Harrison appeared annoyed by questions about Smith’s dismissal. “You bringing up Casey [Smith] is like almost, it’s kind of a joke. Like last year, Casey wasn’t around, and we made it to the Finals. No one brought up Casey last year. So, to bring him up this year doesn’t really make sense. He’s been away for two years. So it’s — I’m not even going to comment on that,” he told the Dallas media.

But even during that run, Luka Doncic was heavily taped up, playing through multiple injuries. Obviously, such a horrific season makes it easy to point fingers at Harrison. But the real answer behind his decision to fire Smith can only be judged after a healthy timeline. At the same time, the confusion can’t be ignored.

Why change something that doesn’t need any fixing? Maybe there’s something else. But not only are the details shocking, but the Mavs are losing precious members in the aftermath.

The most beloved Maverick has lost hope?

The Dallas community was already hurting from the loss of Luka Doncic. However, what would follow was a blow to the gut. In the very first game, the Slovenian played as a Laker, a familiar face was in the crowd. Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki was in attendance. It was seen as him picking a side. But it was also hard to believe a Maverick for life would take such a turn.

Even years after retirement, he still has an office in the Mavericks’ building. However, the details are sad. The office with his name has remained empty for the longest time. It started from the time Harrison decided to part ways with Smith, a close confidante of Nowitzki during his playing career.

Still, until now, all the German had done was attend two games where Doncic featured as a Laker. He hadn’t said anything about the trade. But on a podcast appearance, he let his sentiments leak. “Over the past year, you could already see the team heading in a different direction. Now we’re seeing the result of that,” he said.

As for Harrison, he has made peace with the abandonment from the franchise legend. “My obligation is to the Dallas Mavericks… Again, some of those decisions are going to be unpopular, maybe to Dirk and maybe to the fans, but my obligation is to the Dallas Mavericks,” Harrison said during his press conference.

This sure is a tough phase for Mavericks fans who are seeing a major discourse within their franchise happen before their eyes. Yet, the inevitable is that it will continue. All that they can hope is Nico Harrison’s ideologies come to fruition. Defense does win championships. However, a franchise still needs an anchor to drive that prowess. Can Kyrie Irving be that after his ACL injury?