It's no secret now that the Luka Doncic trade will go down as one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history. Not only did the Dallas Mavericks willingly give away their franchise superstar, but the return package for Doncic was little to nothing compared to what the Mavs could have possibly gotten had Nico Harrison properly shopped the Slovenian superstar.
Not only are fans still feeling the ripple effects of the Doncic trade months later, but the Mavericks are still struggling to replace Doncic's playmaking. Despite winning the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes, which may have saved Harrison's job, Mavs fans are still questioning if they can trust Harrison and the Mavericks front office with another young future star.
Flagg is no doubt a better young star to build around in Harrison's eyes, but with news still leaking about the Doncic trade, the Mavericks' new CEO, Rick Welts, recently expressed how he found out about the details of the Doncic trade.
Welts' conversation with Dumont only adds fuel to the fire
After attending the WSJ's The Future of Everything event earlier this week, Welts was asked about how he recalls the events and details of the Doncic trade unfolding in his eyes, and his answer once again confirms how nobody knew about the trade happening until it was too late.
Welts recalls Dumont saying, "We're gonna trade Luka to the Lakers." Welts then says, "I'm like, who is this? Who is this really? So yeah, I found out about an hour before you did."
Welts recounts that he was in bed when he got a call from Mavs majority owner, Patrick Dumont, that the team was going to trade Doncic to the Lakers. Just like everyone else receiving news about the Doncic trade, Welts couldn't believe the news, and even questioned if Dumont was being serious.
Later in the interview process, Welts would recall what it's been like being the Mavericks' CEO for the few months that he has held the job title, "My first 30 days in Dallas were awesome. The next 100 not so much. It was an incredibly rough ride until a couple of Mondays ago when it got a lot better (referring to winning the draft lottery)."
While the events of the Doncic trade are still leaking out and will continue to be talked about for many years to come, Welts' point of view on the Doncic trade only confirms how bold Harrison was for acting in the dark. The Mavericks could have convinced Harrison or even gotten a better return for Doncic had they been in the know, but that side of the story will forever be a mystery.
By no means does Welts have the power to dictate who gets traded and to where as the CEO, but it's very likely he could have shot down Harrison's idea, as the Mavericks have suffered financially from Doncic's absence. Welts thinking that Dumont was joking is one of the countless red flags surrounding this trade, and it only makes Harrison's decision look worse.
While things are turning for the better in Dallas, Welt's continued focus on that day is a testament to how historic a trade it has become. Not only did Harrison act alone when dealing with the Lakers, but his actions have clearly had consequences despite getting bailed out by the draft lottery results.
On the flip side, drafting Flagg in the next month will add much-needed buzz back to the city of Dallas despite the fan base being fractured from the Doncic trade. It's very possible the only way fans will truly embrace the Mavericks again is if Harrison is fired, but until that happens, the Dallas fan base will continue to be in shambles.
