As the Dallas Mavericks fight for their playoff lives against the Sacramento Kings (40-42) Wednesday night, it’s inevitable that the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade is brought to the forefront, especially at the peak of general manager Nico Harrison’s closed-door meeting with reporters on Tuesday.
Harrison said he had “no regrets” trading Doncic, citing adding more defensive pieces as his justification for dishing out the star guard for Davis. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith had a fiery response to the meeting's confidentiality, calling the Mavericks’ front office “stupid” for questioning the general manager without cameras.
“You can do what you want as an owner. You can also be called stupid for doing it, and that’s exactly what I’m calling Dallas Mavericks ownership,” Smith said on a Wednesday night segment of NBA Countdown.
He then ridiculed the lack of assets Dallas received after trading a monumental franchise player. He referenced the New York Knicks trading for Mikal Bridges as a frame of reference for what an organization should have demanded for Doncic.
“You think that it was wise to mandate that your general manager is having a meeting with no cameras allowed? Really? Like that getting out was going to help you as an organization? It’s bad enough you let go of a superstar that’s six years younger than the guy you got in return,” Smith said.
“It’s bad enough that you didn’t get any other assets along with him. You didn’t get enough. When the Knicks looked at Mikal Bridges, and everybody looked at that trade, they gave up five first-round picks. But the Lakers didn’t have to do a quarter of that to get Luka Doncic?" Smith concluded.
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Smith isn't alone in his comments, as this exchange still remains one of the most questionable in NBA history. But maybe Harrison is onto something most onlookers are unaware of.
Only time will tell. The Mavericks kick off the play-in tournament Wednesday at 10:00 p.m. in Sacramento.
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