Mavs GM Nico Harrison on Draft Night Trades: ‘We’re Not Done At All’
Outside of a few instances that may include a couple of guys named Luka Doncic and Dirk Nowitzki, the Dallas Mavericks haven't had a ton of NBA Draft success over the years. Sure, they've hit on some key role players here and there, but their biggest upgrades usually come by way of trades outside of the draft.
But last night's draft was not one of those instances, as Mavs GM Nico Harrison and company put on their thinking caps and got to work by making two trades, shedding a bad contract, and opening up more opportunity in free agency all while upgrading their defense and rebounding.
Once the Mavs were on the clock at No. 10, the rumors of Dallas looking to trade back were true, as they sent Davis Bertans and No. 10 to the Oklahoma City Thunder for No.12 and a trade exception. At No. 12, the Mavericks selected Duke center Dereck Lively II, who they had been linked to for the last few weeks.
“I looked at Fin after we made the first move, and it was like, 'Man, that’s exactly what we played out,'" Harrison said. "The stress level is like, whew. We did that,” Harrison said.
But Dallas wasn't done after making the first trade. The Mavs immediately put their new $17 million trade exception to use with acquiring center Richaun Holmes and the No. 24 pick from the Sacramento Kings, selecting Marquette forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper.
Point blank, the Mavericks hit Thursday night's draft out of the park -- an absolute homerun for multiple reasons. Adding two defensive-minded prospects in Lively and Prosper can help Dallas immediately upgrade one of their biggest flaws.
But the genius of Harrison and the front office's moves on Thursday went beyond the draft picks. In the trade with OKC, the Mavericks didn't just get off the remaining two-year, $32 million contract of Bertans, but that helped open up the full non-tax midlevel exception of $12.4 million while also receiving the $17 million TPE, which was partially used to acquire Holmes.
“If you look at our past in the last two years, we’re not scared of making moves, so everything is on the table,” Harrison said. “Whatever we think is going to make the team better we’re going to do it. It’s our obligation.”
Dallas went into draft night with the goal of upgrading their defense with a new rim protecting big man while also shedding one of their bigger contracts, and the Mavericks did both and then some.
"I can’t allow myself to take a deep breath and pat ourselves on the back and all that," Harrison said. "No, it’s go time. We’re not done at all ... This is just the beginning”
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