Nico Harrison apparently didn’t treat Anthony Davis as his first choice when trying to trade for Luka Doncic. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, Harrison approached the Minnesota Timberwolves for a trade that would send Luka Doncic to them in exchange for Anthony Edwards. Unsurprisingly, the Timberwolves immediately shut down trade talks, noting that Edwards was not available for a trade.
“League sources tell The Athletic that the Mavericks and Timberwolves informally discussed the prospect of swapping Doncic for 23-year-old, three-time All-Star Anthony Edwards in the weeks before the Lakers deal went down.”
“More specifically, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison reached out to the Timberwolves and asked if there was any chance they’d be willing to trade Edwards. He was promptly told no. The Timberwolves, league sources say, were stunned that Dallas was contemplating parting ways with Doncic.”
When spurned by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Harrison reached out to Rob Pelinka, the Lakers GM and a close friend of his as they both worked closely together during Harrison’s time at Nike. When presented with the deal, Pelinka saw it as a great opportunity to secure the future of the Lakers at a very low cost.
The Lakers and the Mavericks kept the entire deal under wraps for a month. But when the trade came, it completely shook the foundation of the entire NBA. Overnight, the complexion of the league had changed, and now, the Lakers have found the superstar that can carry their team for the next decade.
There were a lot of questions surrounding why Harrison would make this trade. In a report that came out just hours before the Mavericks were set to face Doncic and the Lakers for the first time since the trade, it was revealed that Harrison didn’t want the franchise to revolve around Doncic’s wants, needs, and whims anymore.
Harrison caught the ire of Doncic, who ignored him before the game and questioned him after the game. Along with this, the Mavericks GM was mocked by Lakers fans who sarcastically thanked him for sending Doncic to their team.
Another report, this one coming after the Lakers-Mavs showdown, stated that the franchise took exception with Luka’s habits off the court, specifically his affinity for drinking beer and smoking Hookah.
As such, Harrison decided to cash in on Luka while his value was still high. Even though some believe that Harrison massively overpaid for Anthony Davis, who has very few years left of prime basketball and an injury record that immediately came back to bite the Mavericks in the behind.
As for Luka Doncic, he gets to represent one of the most popular sports franchises in the world and play with a man he has admired for a long time – LeBron James. While Luka has faced some initial struggles on the Lakers, he has been nothing but appreciative of the love and support the fans have shown him during his first few weeks on the team.
Chandler Parsons has tipped Luka Doncic to take all of Harrison’s criticisms about him, which were fed to the press, and use it as fuel to get into the best shape of his life and win the MVP award next season.
Regardless of whether that happens or not, Nico Harrison just handed the Lakers a lifeline few would have expected them to get on their own merit. But it just as easily could have been the Timberwolves.
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