Right before the trade deadline, Dallas Mavericks General Manager, Nico Harrison, made one of the most unexpected trades of all time; no one saw it coming. Essentially, the Mavericks traded perennial MVP-candidate Luka Doncic to the Lakers for Anthony Davis. The organization cited concerns over Luka’s conditioning, his social habits (beer and hookah), and the possibility of him becoming a long-term liability. They thought they were making the smart, forward-thinking move. Word from the organization was that they were in “win-now” mode and needed a true, proven, two-way star to push them over the line.
But since the trade, the Mavericks organization has become comical. They literally made a hype video and edited Luka out of a clip by super-imposing the Mavericks logo over his face. They’ve banned his jersey from the arena and have thrown out fans for yelling, “Fire Nico!” And to put the cherry on top, they plan to raise season ticket prices by 8% next year. For what? A team with o superstar? They’re charging more for a worse product. Big brain moves.
That’s not even talking about basketball-related things that have happened since then. Anthony Davis, the team’s new “superstar,” got injured in his very first game. There’s still no timetable for his return. The irony is that the Cavs traded Luka out of fear he’d become injury-prone for a guy who already had a reputation for being injury prone.
With no true ball handler left, Kyrie Irving has been forced to carry the offense, logging nearly 40 minutes per game. Last night he tore his ACL. In a teary moment, he pulled a Kobe and shot free throws knowing full well his season was over.
So here we are, in just 30 days, the Mavericks have gone from Finals team to an absolute dumpster fire. A masterclass in bad luck and self-destruction. Praise be to Nico.