During a recent closed-door press conference with no video allowed, Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison consistently justified his decision to trade Luka Doncic by stating three words: “Defense wins championships.”
Harrison's press conference was already questionable enough, as only selected reporters were invited. Meanwhile, his “defense wins championships” comments felt like a jab at Doncic in all reality. Doncic recently responded to Harrison's comments during an interview with Malika Andrews of ESPN.
“It's just sad, the way he's talking right now,” Doncic told Andrews. “I never say anything bad about him, and I just want to move on… It's time for me to move on from that.”
Andrews then asked if Doncic has spoken with Harrison since the trade.
“No,” the Lakers star said, before later confirming that he was planning to finish his career in Dallas before the trade.
Luka Doncic is ready to move on, however. He doesn't have much of a choice since the Mavericks decided to move on from him. Dallas is currently competing in the NBA Play-In Tournament in hopes of earning a spot in the playoffs. The Lakers are waiting to begin their playoff journey at the moment as LA is the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
It's safe to say the trade has worked out well for the Lakers. Sure, losing Anthony Davis wasn't ideal, but the team added a generational superstar in Doncic.
LA clearly liked the trade as Rob Pelinka landed a new contract extension on Friday. The Lakers general manager also earned a new title as well, as he will serve as the president of basketball operations in addition to his GM duties.
As for Nico Harrison, he is hoping the trade results in a championship. Harrison has made it clear that he is willing to defend the
