When Shams Charania reports something, the league listens. His latest update following Nico Harrison’s firing adds a shocking new layer to the Dallas Mavericks’ saga. According to Charania, the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers was entirely Harrison’s idea.
Sources close to the situation say Harrison personally pitched the trade to team ownership and pushed it through from start to finish. He believed the Mavericks needed a reset focused on defense, culture, and flexibility instead of continuing to build around Dončić’s ball-dominant style of play.
At the time, many thought the move was ownership’s call. Now, it appears the decision came straight from Harrison himself.
Stephen A Smith: Is Nico Harrison the scapegoat or was it his idea, who pushed the button for that Luka Doncic trade
Shams Charania: Stephen… it was Nico Harrison it was his pitch and idea for the Luka trade it was all him pic.twitter.com/3C0QfMA0cz
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) November 11, 2025
The February 2025 trade, which shipped Dončić to Los Angeles for Anthony Davis and future assets, shocked the NBA. Analysts called it “one of the most stunning moves in league history,” and fans have not forgiven it since.
Harrison, hired in 2021 after a long tenure at Nike, was supposed to lead Dallas into a modern era of player relations and innovative roster building. Instead, his tenure ended in controversy, fan outrage, and a 3-8 start that forced ownership to make a change.
With Shams revealing that Harrison alone orchestrated the Dončić deal, fans now see his firing as the final chapter of an experiment gone wrong.
What’s your take? Was Harrison a visionary who miscalculated, or did he single-handedly sink the Mavericks’ future?
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.