Mavericks GM Nico Harrison Will Attend Battle vs Lakers, Luka Doncic in Person

Feb 10, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison walks off the court before the game between the Dallas and the Sacramento Kings at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers are set to take on the Dallas Mavericks for tonight's crucial Western Conference showdown. 

A ton of eyes will be on the game as Lakers superstar Luka Dončić takes on his former team for the first time ever. 

Dončić will look to show up and show out against his former team, and the man responsible for trading him away, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, will be in attendance. 

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith says Harrison will be in attendance for the Lakers vs. Mavericks tonight. 

Stephen A. Smith says Nico Harrison will be in attendance for Lakers-Mavs tonight 🍿

(via @FirstTake) pic.twitter.com/DhQmBreNH9

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 26, 2025

Tuesday will be the first time Dončić will take on his former team. 

This matchup was circled on many people's calendars the moment the trade went down on Feb. 1. 

Doncic was shipped to Los Angeles by Harrison, along with forward/center Maxi Kleber and forward/center Markieff Morris from Dallas in a three-team trade. In return, the Lakers sent forward Anthony Davis, guard Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round draft pick to the Mavericks. 

The trade is arguably the most shocking and stunning trade in sports history. Both Harrison and the Lakers' general manager, Rob Pelinka, kept the trade under wraps. 

According to multiple reports, Harrison introduced Pelinka to the idea of trading away Dončić before the Lakers took on the Mavericks in early January in Dallas. 

After the trade took place, Harrison and governor Patrick Dumont took massive shots at their former star. 

"I believe that defense wins championships," Harrison told ESPN. "I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We're built to win now and in the future."

"If you look at the greats in the league, the people you and I grew up with — [Michael] Jordan, [Larry] Bird, Kobe [Bryant], Shaq [O’Neal] — they worked really hard, every day, with a singular focus to win," Dumont said. 

Another report was released that the Mavericks were never going to give Dončić the supermax, and if Harrison failed to trade away the 25-year-old in early February, they would have done it this upcoming summer. 

Clearly, the Mavericks were done with Dončić without him even knowing.

Fast forward a few weeks later, and Dončić is getting his feet under him after missing extensive time due to his calf injury and is set to show his former employees what they're missing. 

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