Nico Harrison Has Been Scapegoated Into Taking Blame Over Luka Doncic Trade, Asserts Charles Barkley

It’s usually not a good sign that things are well when a General Manager of an NBA franchise ends up being the most talked-about figure. For the last nine months in Dallas, Nico Harrison has been the talk of the town. He has been facing ire ever since he traded Luka Doncic, their face, earlier this year. Earlier this week, Harrison lost his job as well.

But Harrison’s firing has brought out other factors that led to the Doncic trade. And it doesn’t appear to be all the GM’s fault. There were reports of others in the organization doubting Doncic’s mindset after their Finals loss to the Boston Celtics in 2024.

It seems these doubts led to conversations surrounding a potential move away from the Slovenian. Harrison, of course, was the man placed in front of the firing squad since he was the GM. But it simply couldn’t have been a decision made solely by him. Charles Barkley emphasized this while voicing his sympathy for Harrison.

Chuck doesn’t see Harrison having the kind of power needed to single-handedly remove a franchise cornerstone like Doncic. In fact, Barkley even lauded Harrison for doing a good job with the roster.

“There’s no way in the world Nico Harrison had the power to trade Luka Doncic unless the owner of the team signed off on it,” Barkley said in an ESPN segment. “I feel bad the way Nico’s being made a scapegoat.”

Yes, Harrison, on paper, had the final say to decide player trades. That’s what a GM does. But when it comes to hugely important players — the likes of Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and more — owners, CEOs, and other senior figures step in.

There were discussions behind the scenes in Dallas for sure. And even head coach Jason Kidd was involved in making the final call, as reported by Shams Charania, the NBA’s most trusted insider.

“At that time, though, it’s important to note, there was full alignment in that organization, from ownership to Nico Harrison to his staff to coach Jason Kidd,” Charania stated, confirming Barkley’s suspicion.

It should also be noted that Patrick Dumont would have probably had a final say in this matter. Or, at the very least, a substantial say. So, when the trade went down, it’s quite clear that Dumont was on board to an extent.

The blame for everything wrong with the Mavericks cannot be placed on Harrison alone. The Mavs are 3-8 and 14th in the West, but it’s with Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving injured, and Kidd playing Cooper Flagg in a position he’s not comfortable in.

The Mavericks franchise looks like it needs a complete overhaul, or at least a breath of fresh air to get rid of all the negativity. Whether a new head coach, a big trade that shakes up the roster, or a huge GM appointment would help them is something that remains to be seen.