Not too many people are hearing out Nico Harrison’s reasoning for trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Shannon Sharpe recently spoke on the lambasting Harrison has received throughout the last two months, scoffing at the idea that trading a 25-year-old superstar is a good plan simply because he isn’t a lockdown defender.
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The Hall of Fame tight end doesn’t believe an aging Anthony Davis is nearly enough to match Doncic’s value. The veteran big man helped keep the Mavericks alive for the majority of the Play-In Tournament, but the 32-year-old won’t be getting any better. Meanwhile, Doncic hasn’t even hit his prime yet and is set to be the next face of the Lakers.
Sharpe pushed back against Harrison’s “defense wins championships” mantra that he has repeated throughout the aftermath of the blockbuster trade. To Sharpe, Dallas’ ultimate return was incredibly underwhelming considering what they gave up. It’d take a lot more to convince him to move Doncic for the sake of adding defense.
“[Harrison] had a press conference with no cameras. And he said defense wins championships. I ain’t trading no Luka,” the former Denver Bronco said on Nightcap. “The defensive player I get better be Bill Russell. Rest his soul, he better be Bill Russell in his prime. Or Hakeem Olajuwon or someone like that!”
Sharpe then scoffed at Harrison’s claim that he didn’t know Doncic meant so much to the Mavs’ faithful. He compared contemplating the trade to the military projecting the blast radius of an explosion—also known as collateral damage. “Nico, you knew this. This fallout is going to be like Chernobyl,” Sharpe continued.
The 56-year-old is far from the only media member who has been outspoken about Harrison’s ill-advised decision. Others have been hitting back on the Mavs GM for not only the move itself but also his nonchalance and unfounded confidence in the aftermath of the trade.
Stephen A. Smith criticized Nico Harrison’s confidence following Luka trade
While Stephen A. Smith may have had no issues with Nico Harrison’s recent comments, it doesn’t mean that the longtime sports personality agrees with the move. Smith clearly didn’t approve of Harrison sharing he had “no regrets” following the trade and quickly put the veteran GM in his place for his all-around failure.
Stephen A. agrees that the Mavs will be a competitive team if their roster is healthy next season. But considering that’s not the case right now, Smith believes Harrison’s best course of action is simply to shut his mouth and let time pass. Because at the moment, there’s nothing he can do to save his reputation.
“When that happens, you don’t have a press conference right now, talk about it. You just don’t. You shut up, and you go home,” Smith said. “That’s what you do. Do your exit interviews when the season’s over.” With Dallas’ short- and long-term future hanging in the balance, it’d be in Harrison’s best interest to keep quiet until he has a chance to mend his mistakes.
