Mavericks GM Nico Harrison says he's 'never spoken ill' of Luka Doncic

Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison pushed back on claims he'd bad-mouthed former star Luka Doncic since trading the 25-year-old to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Harrison was asked to comment on Doncic's statements about Harrison from earlier in the week, along with the reports that the general manager had been frustrated with his talismanic ex-superstar prior to dealing him to the Lakers.

"I've actually never spoken ill of Luka at all. I am just ready to move on with this team that we have," -Nico Harrison. pic.twitter.com/tEewqBLpXN
— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) April 21, 2025

"I feel the same way he does," Harrison said, according to Fox 4 in Dallas. "I've actually never spoken ill of Luka at all, and I'm just ready to move on with this team that we have."

Doncic was asked by ESPN's Malika Andrews about Harrison earlier this week, and expressed frustration with the general manager's demeanor since the trade.

"It's just sad the way he's talking right now," Doncic said of Harrison during a sit-down interview with ESPN's Malika Andrews that aired Friday. "I never say anything bad about him, and I just want to move on. The fans, my ex-teammates, I'll always keep at heart. It's time for me to move on from there."

Harrison's claim that he never spoke ill of Doncic feels dubious at best, if not outright incorrect. Whenever he's asked about the trade, Harrison simply replies that he believes defense wins championships, a direct insinuation that Doncic's defense was keeping the Mavs from truly contending for a title.

On top of that, while Harrison may not have publicly voiced his criticisms of Doncic, there are mountains of evidence and reports that Harrison was not quiet about his frustrations with the 25-year-old superstar behind closed doors. ESPN's Tim McMahon broke down a number of those issues after the trade went down, noting that Harrison's concerns with Doncic's conditioning and frustration with his defensive effort were driving factors in the decision to deal away one of the greatest players in franchise history.

Not to mention the fact that Harrison traded Doncic in the first place for a package of a battered aging star and a singular draft pick. You don't make that deal when you're thrilled with your young superstar.

Like most of his public comments since the trade went down, Harrison's assertions today don't hold up to scrutiny, and paint an incomplete picture of how he handled the blockbuster deal that altered the course of two franchises.

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