How Niko Harrison tricked Patrick Dumont into the Luka Doncic trade

As it is Dallas Mavericks continue their disappointing 4-11 start to the 2025-26 NBA season, new reports have revealed that former general manager Nico Harrison convinced team owner Patrick Dumont to approve the trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Organization fired Harrison last Tuesday after the team’s continuous struggles.

According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Harrison took advantage of the Mavericks’ late-season surge in 2023–24. as a basis for selling Dumont to his long-term vision. After dealing Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington — moves that were made only after the Kyle Kuzma deal fell through — Dallas went 16-4 to close out the regular season and eventually reach the NBA Finals as the No. 5 seed. At the time the acquisitions were made, the team was 28–23 and eighth in the Western Conference.

That finish was enough to convince Dumont that Harrison had found a winning formula.

“Nico did a great job of selling,” one Mavericks official said. “He took credit for everything that was done. When Patrick asked questions – asked him how we got Kyrie, how the draft came about, etc. – (Harrison) said he was the guy. We fell in and went to the Finals. Fool’s gold.”

Nico Harrison bypassed Mark Cuban, controlled the narrative with Patrick Dumont

Despite Dumont occasionally instructing Harrison to keep Mark Cuban involved in personnel decisions, sources say Harrison often ignored the directive. Communication between Cuban and Dumont reportedly became minimal during the team’s success, while Harrison became increasingly isolated within the organization. He maintained a direct relationship with Dumont, which became his source of power.

“Nico made a ditch and put up a fence and said, ‘I’ve got this!'” said one source familiar with the dynamic. “It was clearly the wrong strategy.

Sources around the franchise believe Harrison only gave Dumont the information he wanted his boss to hear, rather than the full picture — an especially risky approach considering Dumont is still new to the NBA landscape.

“A guy in basketball operations who had oil to Dumont didn’t give him a real word,” a team source said.

That internal dynamic ultimately positioned Harrison to move forward with the controversial trade that sent Doncic — a perennial MVP candidate still in his prime — to the Lakers. Rival executives largely saw the return as poor value, especially in the absence of any trade demand from Doncic or indication that he wanted to leave.

Harrison presented Luka Doncic as a long-term risk Anthony Davis as the cornerstone of the new Mavericks

Harrison constructed his argument from a financial and health perspective. With Doncic eligible for a five-year, $345 million supermax extension in the summer, Harrison argued that such an investment would prove costly. He pointed to Doncic’s conditioning, off-field habits and repetitive calf strain as reasons to expect long-term physical decline.

There has also been more friction between Doncic’s camp and Harrison over how he is recovering from injury. Harrison reportedly portrayed those tensions to Dumont as a sign of Doncic’s wavering commitment to the franchise.

He further blamed for the team’s five-game Finals loss to the Boston Celtics to Dončić’s defensive shortcomings. Harrison instead set out in a new direction: building the league’s best defense around Anthony Davis, with whom Harrison had a longtime relationship dating back to Davis’ teenage years in AAU.

“Defense wins championships,” Harrison said in rare public comments defending the trade.

Harrison stressed the importance of secrecy, telling Dumont that any leaks could empower Doncic’s agent, Bill Duffy, to derail the deal. Fumbling with Cuban, Harrison warned, could risk exposure. Dumont agreed to keep the negotiations under strict control.

“Nobody else knew. Nobody else needed to know. Dumont bought it, and that was all that mattered,” the source said.

“‘We believe in Nick’ — too much at the end of the day,” another source added, referencing Dumont’s now-infamous post-trade quote. “That quote came back to haunt (Dumont).”

Doncic thrives with Lakers as Mavs stumble

Since then, Doncic has flourished in the Lakersleading them to an 11–4 record and the No. 4 seed in the West. In 11 appearances, he is averaging 34.6 points, nine assists, 8.5 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game.

Against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night, Doncic had 37 points, 10 assists, five rebounds and four steals while shooting 11-for-22 from the field and 13-for-16 from the free throw line in 34 minutes. The Lakers beat Utah 140–126 to extend their winning streak to three games.

Los Angeles will face the Clippers (4–10) next Tuesday at 11:00 PM ET on NBC Peacock as part of their ongoing NBA Cup schedule.

Meanwhile, the Mavericks fell to 13th in the Western Conference after a 120-96 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday. They begin a three-game homestand against the New York Knicks (8–5) on Wednesday at 9:30 PM ET.