As the Dallas Mavericks continue their disappointing start to the 2025–26 NBA season with a 4–11 record, new reporting has revealed how former general manager Nico Harrison convinced team owner Patrick Dumont to approve a trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers . The organization fired Harrison last Tuesday following the team’s continued struggles.

According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Harrison leveraged the Mavericks’ late-season surge in 2023–24 as the basis for selling Dumont on his long-term vision . After trade-deadline deals to acquire Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington — moves made only after a Kyle Kuzma deal fell through — Dallas went 16–4 to close the regular season and ultimately reached the NBA Finals as a No. 5 seed. At the time the acquisitions were made,

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