Never throw away anything good. Especially someone who gives you an average of 27 points and 7 assists every game! Because if you do, you will face the consequences. Does this ring a bell? It surely does. This season, since Doncic moved to LA, everything has changed except for one thing. His consistency. At least Luka Doncic’s emotional homecoming on Wednesday narrated a compelling story. A known one, but it unfolded so many underlying layers that now Nico Harrison is back in the center. Too many questions, yet not one satisfying answer for the Maverick Nation to be like, “Okay, we’ll consider this.” And in this mix, no one seems more stuck than Anthony Davis.

Let’s just say Dallas fans aren’t the only ones who are looking for an explanation. They’re not the only ones who are pointing their fingers at the GM, waiting for him to either tell the real story or just leave his post. There are others, like Austin Rivers and Pausha Haghighi, who feel the same. Do you remember when Trae Young tweeted: “He would’ve never left, you idiot.” Yeah, Rivers agrees. And when I say he didn’t show an ounce of mercy for Nico Harrison, I kid you not.

“You threw away a generational talent. You don’t just draft Luka’s. They don’t come and go. They’re very, very far in between when you get a talent like this. Five first teams all around. I don’t even need to go down his list of accomplishments in his short career already. You don’t trade a Luka Doncic, man.” Rivers didn’t hold back his frustration. According to the ex-NBA player, this trade would’ve made more sense a decade ago because Anthony Davis was one of the top five players in the league. But now, right after Doncic pushed the team into the finals not even a year ago? That trade was always meant to hurt.

Austin Rivers added to the Mavericks’ pain and said,“‘Fire Nico’ is justified. He has put this team in a position that might take over a decade to recover.” Throughout the emotional showdown, Mavericks fans roared with love for Doncic, erupting every time he touched the ball. But while he soaked in the adoration, Nico Harrison faced the storm. As the architect of Doncic’s stunning exit, he became the villain, bombarded by relentless “Fire Nico!” chants. Meanwhile, Mark Cuban, watching it all unfold, couldn’t mask his disappointment. The contrast was striking. One left as a hero, and the other stayed to bear the weight.

But, well, Luka isn’t the only one in the trade madness. Quentin Grimes was also pushed away. “Sometimes you get high off your own supply and you start feeling yourself a little too much — to the point where you just think you’re a matchmaker,” Rivers further taunted Nico Harrison. The GM had a (nearly) perfect roster, he had the Luka-Kyrie duo, and he made some solid trades last season. So, stay put! “Why would you feel the need to make a trade like this — at this magnitude — in a year like this, where it’s wide open in your conference? Why the f— would you make this move?” Rivers asked angrily.

“And it’s so obvious. There’s a reason why the whole stadium was emotional. Watching Luka cry — looking at Luka cry — it made everyone more pissed. Last night, those feelings were triggered again.” Had Doncic waved his goodbye and not shed tears, things wouldn’t have been extreme. But now, he’s given he fans enough reasons to call out Nico Harrison again. His tears said he wouldn’t have left. Besides, “I don’t think it was Nico alone. It was clearly Nico and new ownership,” Austin noted. Calling the trade the worst in the history of basketball, he further blasted: “You were outsourcing to people, trying to get rid of Luka. Was it personal? I don’t know. Had to be. It doesn’t make sense.” 

Most importantly, could Harrison and Co. not give this young Slovenian 10 to 15 years to stay and bring a second championship? Dirk Nowitzki spent 21 years, brought a championship, and now has a statue outside the AAC! “You couldn’t have given Luka the same opportunity, Nico? You couldn’t give him… he just took you there, Nico. Couldn’t you give him the 20 years he would have given you?” Austin Rivers asked.

All the blame falls on Nico Harrison’s shoulders, and Luka’s emotional homecoming unleashed fan sentiments on Wednesday. But, in this story, there is another character who is facing the awkwardness of matters. Guess who? Of course, Anthony Davis.

While Nico Harrison & Co. face the wrath of the fans, Anthony Davis’s odd situation comes to light

“When a player like Anthony Davis gets traded somewhere, it’s a very exciting thing. I don’t care how old he is—32 years old, 13th year in the NBA. Regardless, he’s a top 75 player and still one of the best bigs in basketball,” Austin Rivers noted. He says that in 99.9% of cases, any team and its fans would celebrate AD’s name on the roster.

But here in Dallas, the scene is exceptional and not in a good way. “Only in this rare of a situation—yeah, the most rare. This is a trade, like we talked about over the trail—it doesn’t ever happen. This is a trade, like we talked about over the trail—it doesn’t ever happen. You almost feel for him just due to the fact that, brother, they gave him a warm welcome last night—which is to put it lightly.”

Luka Doncic got a standing ovation, and fans cheered when he scored 45 points. And then, there was AD, sitting there just like, “‘Golly, man, it’s not like they’re against me.'” Rivers expressed. “They’re just mad that he’s not here anymore. That’s not a good feeling either, though. No one’s mad at Anthony Davis. He didn’t do the trade. No one’s mad at Anthony Davis. He’s a talented player. Dallas is mad they just don’t have Luka anymore. And for someone like Anthony Davis, that’s a weird feeling.”

In the end, Luka’s tears spoke louder than any trade report ever could. Dallas didn’t just lose a star—they lost a heartbeat. And now, while Nico Harrison carries the blame, Anthony Davis quietly wears the weight of a city’s heartbreak.