Rob Pelinka, the general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers, played Nico Harrison and the Dallas Mavericks like a fiddle in February when he acquired Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick. Pelinka was able to keep the cost down by talking Harrison into the "risks" of taking on Doncic, not being able to speak to his agent ahead of time because they wanted to keep secrecy, and because Harrison had no idea what Doncic was worth.
Part of the reason Harrison says he traded Doncic is because of Doncic's conditioning and work ethic. Patrick Dumont even said in the immediate aftermath of the trade that they want people who work hard like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Larry Bird, and Shaquille O'Neal (somehow, Shaq was name-dropped in that). Dallas made it seem like Doncic was "a fat, drunk pig," as a friend of Doncic said to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.
“I tell you, he’s been a great leader in the gym every day, working hard at his craft," Pelinka said before the Lakers' Game 2 matchup in the first round against the Minnesota Timberwolves. "Obviously, you can’t be one of the best players in the world without putting in the work.”
Dallas trying to discredit Doncic's work ethic was what drove many fans and players insane. He made five First-Team All-NBAs in a row in his first six seasons, you don't just show up and do that. Doncic has been working at this since he was a kid and pushed through injuries to lead the Mavericks to the NBA Finals last season, but they still want to act like he didn't work.
Rob Pelinka probably blocked Nico Harrison's phone number as soon as the trade was made, because he likely knew how badly he swindled Harrison for one of the three best players in the world. It gave the Lakers a chance to reset their clock once LeBron James retires, while the Mavericks likely won't be contending for championships any time soon.
