NBA – Legend defends Nico Harrison after Luka Doncic trade

Par Mathieu Seguin | Rédacteur sport

Nico Harrison has quickly become hated in Dallas, and it’s only just begun. The bad news is pouring in for the GM, even if he’s not to blame for everything. That, at least, is the opinion of this former player.

While the Mavericks lost right from the play-in round, the franchise hopes to have a real shot at the title next season. It will be interesting to see Cooper Flagg’s contribution, but there are also many doubts about the health of the players. Klay Thompson is struggling to get back to his best, Kyrie Irving won’t be back until 2026 and Anthony Davis is struggling to stay healthy.

Does Dallas have a chance of winning the championship? If all goes well, this is a team to watch out for. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean that fans want to turn the page after the Luka Doncic trade. Nico Harrison is still hated, and his latest decisions won’t help his reputation.

Mavericks in crisis with their GM

By firing the medical staff when he arrived, then doing the same last April when he realized his mistake, Harrison has once again made a fool of himself. Best of all, the man formerly in charge, Casey Smith, has bounced back to shine for the Knicks today. Further proof of the nonsense that’s going on.

And yet, far from Dallas, you can find people who try to defend him. Such is the case with legend Gary Payton, not necessarily very objective since Harrison represented him with Nike in the past. But on a recent show, the former player was keen to defend the GM, explaining that he wasn’t the big culprit.

Gary Payton : “And then I feel for Nico, man. Nico was my rep at Nike—that’s like a little brother to me. He always looked up to me like that. So I feel for him because of what he took, you know what I’m saying? People don’t understand—he’s the President and General Manager. He can’t make those calls on his own. An owner has to make that call. He can’t just say, “I’ll make the call.” Because he was going to get fired.”

We remind you, however, that this version is false. Harrison jokingly floated the idea to Rob Pelinka, but the discussion turned serious, as confirmed by The Athletic. The GM then had to call his owner for approval, but he was the one who convinced him it was the right decision. It’s not for nothing that Harrison is being targeted.