Los Angeles Lakers star guard Luka Doncic broke his silence regarding the Dallas Mavericks decision to fire general manager Nico Harrison following L.A.’s 121-92 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.
When asked about Dallas’ decision to relieve Harrison of his duties, Doncic expressed affinity for the fans in Dallas and the Mavericks as an organization, but stressed that his focus is fully on the Lakers. He didn't mention Harrison by name, and didn't weigh in on his departure.
"The city of Dallas, the fans, players they always have a special place in my heart,” Doncic said. “I thought I was going to stay there forever, but I didn't. That will always be a special place for me. Always I can call it home. But right now I'm focused on the Lakers, trying to move on. … Just trying to move on, focus on what we’re doing here.”
When asked if there was a world where he could ever see himself back in a Mavericks uniform now that Harrison is gone, Doncic reiterated his commitment to his current franchise.
"Right now I'm just focused on the Lakers man," he said. "No further comments."
Doncic had to know that the question was coming, so he probably prepared an answer in his head. We might never know his true feelings about the firing, but we do know that he was blindsided, and gutted, by the trade to L.A., even though he has done his best to move on.
The decision to trade Doncic ultimately cost Harrison his job, just as many predicted it would at the time. It took less than a year to do so. It could also prevent him from getting jobs in the future, as it is widely considered to be one of the worst trades in league history. Who is going to want to hire the guy who traded Doncic at the peak of his powers? Maybe someone will, eventually.
In the meantime, while Harrison is home, disgraced, and the Mavs have sunk to the bottom of the Western Conference standings without him, Doncic is a legitimate MVP candidate thriving with his new team. So, he didn't really need to take a public victory lap because Harrison got fired. Sometimes things just work out the way they're supposed to.