JUST hours after pulling off one of the biggest NBA deals ever, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison said a desire to get players that fit the 'culture' they're trying to build in Dallas prompted the decision to part with superstar Luka Doncic in a three-team deal and bring in Lakers big man Anthony Davis.
"As we turn the page, I think it's important to know that [Mavs coach Jason Kidd] and I, we've had a vision and the culture that we want to create since we've been here," said Harrison in a post-game press conference after Dallas started the post-Luka era with a 144-101 loss at Cleveland.
"The players that we're bringing in, we believe, exemplify that. We think defense wins championships, and we're bringing in one of the best two-way players in the league."
Luka Doncic: 'I thought I'd spend my [entire] career' in Dallas
Although Harrison said he alone worked on the deal, he bared Mavs coach Jason Kidd was supportive of the trade that sent Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris to the Lakers for Davis, Max Christie, and LA's 2029 first-round pick.
"Well, let's be clear: I'm the one making the decision and [Kidd]'s supportive of it, so it's me," said Harrison. "I think everything that we do, we put a lot of work into it, we study it and we re-study it and we go back. I understand the magnitude of it.
"So the easiest thing for me to do is do nothing, and everyone would praise me for doing nothing. But we really believe in it, and time will tell if I'm right."
Multiple media outlets reported that concerns over Doncic's fitness and his commitment to diet and conditioning prompted the Mavs' decision to shop him around for trades, with unconfirmed reports claiming his weight has ballooned to well over 250 lbs while recovering from a calf strain that limited him to 22 games played this season.
Harrison declined to touch on the topic, but maintained that the players coming in led by AD fit the culture they're trying to build in Dallas.
"There's people that fit the culture and there's people that come in and add to the culture. And those are two distinct things," the Mavs GM said. "And I believe the people that [are] coming in are adding to the culture."
Luka denied a 'supermax deal'
The Mavs exec also touched on Doncic's contractual situation.
Doncic was eligible to sign a five-year, $345 million supermax contract this summer. But before the Mavs could make him an offer, the trade meant he can only sign an extension with the Lakers for as much as $229 million over five years this summer.
Doncic also has an option to opt out of his contract after the 2025-26 season, when several teams are expected to make a bid on the free agent.
"There's some unique things about his contract that we had to pay attention to," Harrison said.
"There's other teams that were loading up that he was going to be able to decide, make his own decision at some point of whether he wants to be here or not. Whether we want to supermax him or not, or whether he wants to opt out.
"So, I think we had to take all that into consideration, and I feel like we got out in front of what could have been a tumultuous summer."
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