Transcript released: Mavs GM Nico Harrison’s secret meeting with media
Ahead of the Dallas Mavericks’ play-intTournament game against the Sacramento Kings, team GM Nico Harrison met with a select group of media members in a secretive meeting to discuss the Luka Doncic trade and defend the decision.
The meeting, held Tuesday, April 15, was not announced ahead of time and recording devices were forbidden.
However, after the interview, the Mavericks provided a transcript of the interview, which Star-Telegram media partner WFAA posted to its website.
Team CEO Rick Welts pointed out that the team has had a renewal of 75-80% of its season ticket members, bucking stories that season ticket holders have abandoned the team in the wake of the Doncic trade.
Harrison spoke about the Mavs’ new look team and said with Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively saying they were a championship caliber team and that versatility and depth would be the team’s calling card going forward.
He also admitted that despite the fan and media reaction, there were no regrets about the trade.
“Yeah, there’s no regrets on the trade. Part of my job is to do the best thing for the Mavericks, not only today, but also in the future. And some of the decisions I’m going to make are going to be unpopular, and that’s my job, and I have to stand by it. And one last thing, also add, every trade I’ve done has been met with high scrutiny, and so eventually I’ll earn the trust of this community that you know some of these trades are going to work out, and they have at a high-level,” said Harrison.
Harrison also suggested that the vitriol against the trade would’ve subsided as time progressed, but injuries to key players like Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving didn’t showcase the team’s potential on the court this season.
Welts also defended the trade, comparing it to other blockbuster trades for players like Lenny Wilkens, Stephon Marbury and Monta Ellis, saying trades initially disliked by fans can be redeemed by time.
“I would just say that this story is unfinished. We understand the pain, we’re listening,” said Welts, “We hear every day the pain that people are feeling. But I think you have to judge us from this day forward on, whether or not we’re going to conduct ourselves as an organization and as a basketball team in a way that the fans can embrace.”
