Dallas Mavericks, Nico Harrison double down on Luka Dončić trade to Lakers

DALLAS - The Dallas Mavericks are doubling down on their decision to trade away superstar Luka Dončić to the LA Lakers.

This morning at around 10 am, about 15-16 media members, including FOX 4 met in a conference room at American Airlines Center with Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison and CEO Rick Welts for an hour long media session.

Every local TV station was represented. The Dallas Morning News, the Associated Press, ESPN's Tim Macmahon who covers this team extensively.

TV cameras and recording devices were not allowed.

"No regrets" on Luka trade to Lakers

DALLAS, TEXAS - APRIL 10: Nico Harrison of the Dallas Mavericks watches warmups before the game against the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Center on April 10, 2022 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, b

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Harrison had not spoken to reporters about the trade since February 2 and was asked if he had to do this over again. Would he do it in the same way?

"There are no regrets on the trade. Part of my job is to do the best thing for the Mavericks, not only today, but also in the future. Some of the decisions I'm going to make are going to be unpopular. And that's my job and I have to stand by it. Every trade I've done has been met with high scrutiny and so, eventually, I'll earn the trust of this community back. You know, some of these trades are going to work out," said Harrison.

"Judged by wins and losses"

Nico was asked about the Maverick’s fan base and what he feels like his responsibility to this fan base is given how beloved Luka was here in Dallas and what the reaction to his departure has been like here in the Metroplex.

"My responsibility to the fan base is putting a championship-caliber team on the floor, and we're going to be judged by wins and losses," said Harrison.

Nico Harrison on Luka Dončić's conditioning

There were reports that had leaked about Luka’s worth ethic and his poor conditioning. So FOX 4 asked if there was any truth to that or if he could point to something specific that made him want to move in another direction.

"No, Luka's an extremely talented player, as we all know. We've all seen that he's probably dropped the most points when maybe he's not in the best conditioning, so he can do that. That's not an issue. When you make a trade like this, you have to really look at it in its totality. It's very thorough. We looked at everything. And again, just felt that it was in the best interest of our team going forward. I keep saying this, but defense wins championships," said Harrison.     

Nico Harrison on future with Mavericks

This next question that was asked has come up quite a bit with fans; will Nico be in Dallas long-term?

"I have three years left on my contract. I see myself finishing it out. In terms of Dallas, this is our home. My family is going to finish school here. This is where we live. This is where i'm living," said Harrison.

Local perspective:

It should also be noted that Nico decided to hold this press conference a day before the Mavericks face the Sacramento Kings on the road in the NBA play-in tournament.

The team could have waited to talk about the trade until the season was over, because it's customary to have an end of the season press conference anyway.

This could make the whole situation worse for Maverick fans. Opening the wound once again, and it's as fresh as ever before.