Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison “quadrupled down” on his decision to trade Luka Doncic and emphasized a defense-first philosophy during a closed-door session with reporters, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
Speaking on NBA Today, MacMahon described Harrison’s insistence on defense as the cornerstone of the franchise’s vision, despite widespread fan backlash and a disappointing 10th-place finish in the Western Conference.
“Harrison doubled down, he tripled down, he quadrupled down… I could go on, I ran out of fingers counting how many times that he said defense wins championships,” MacMahon said, recounting Tuesday’s off-camera meeting, via HoopsHype.
MacMahon said Harrison repeatedly emphasized that “defense wins championships,” framing the trade as part of a multi-year vision to build a title contender.
According to MacMahon, Harrison ignored pushback about the timing and rationale behind the decision and continued to reiterate that defense remains the core philosophy.
The Mavericks traded Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris to the Lakers in February for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick.
Since the deal, Doncic has averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists for Los Angeles, helping the team lock in a top-three seed in the Western Conference.
Dallas finished the regular season 39–43 and enters the Play-In as the No. 10 seed, needing back-to-back road wins to reach the playoffs.
MacMahon pointed out that while Harrison cited defense as the organizational priority, the justification doesn’t align with on-court results.
He noted that the Mavericks had the league’s best defense over the final 20 games of last season and posted a 109.2 defensive rating during the NBA Finals against Boston—better than nearly every regular-season defense.
“They lost that series for other reasons, but that logic maybe doesn’t necessarily add up,” MacMahon said.
He also emphasized that Harrison set a three-to-four year window to build a championship roster, despite the team having traded or swapped its first-round picks through 2030.
MacMahon revealed that Harrison intends to remain GM for the rest of his contract, which runs three more years, but cast doubt on how much control he still holds.
“Why did this happen now? Because Patrick Dumont wanted it to happen,” MacMahon said, referencing the Mavericks’ new governor and hinting at possible internal power shifts.
He added that Dumont had wanted the media session to happen weeks earlier, before Doncic’s return.
Despite Harrison’s insistence on the plan, MacMahon acknowledged the widespread discontent among fans.
“Quite frankly, a lot doesn’t make sense… Nothing that was said today is going to calm down a completely outraged fan base,” MacMahon said.
As Dallas prepares for a must-win scenario, the spotlight remains not only on the roster but also on the front office’s long-term direction.
