There’s chaos at Dirk Nowitzki’s former club, the Dallas Mavericks. Basketball superstar Luka Doncic was released in February. Now the general manager in charge of the deal has to go. From Nowitzki’s perspective, it was too late – and he made that clear.
German basketball icon Dirk Nowitzki criticized former manager Nico Harrison over his deal with Luka Doncic after he left the Dallas Mavericks. “This trade makes no sense. There’s no explanation for it. Dallas was in the finals a year earlier, the team was built around him,” Nowitzki said as a Prime Video pundit about Harrison, who had to leave Texas’ NBA club this week.
The deciding factor was the trade in which Dallas traded Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis this February. “It’s very sad how it ended. The fans felt like they were robbed. They never saw the end of the story of how Luka Doncic hoped to develop into a champion. It was heartbreaking. It definitely set the club back,” said Nowitzki, who played for the club from 1998 to 2019 and won the championship in 2011.
Nowitzki’s final season was also his first year alongside Doncic. The 25-year-old standout at point guard had to go, the injury-prone Davis came in — and has since missed 30 of 44 regular-season games.
Nowitzki sees “black clouds” over the Dallas Mavericks
Nowitzki said the separation from Harrison should happen in the summer and not now after the start of the season. For now, Nowitzki’s former teammates Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi will take over Harrison’s duties. “The search for a permanent replacement will begin immediately,” said the club where Nowitzki became a superstar.
According to media reports, he is one of the potential successors as general manager. According to “USA Today,” there are five candidates – Nowitzki is “one of them.” The 47-year-old is currently a special advisor to the Mavericks.
Nowitzki said Cooper Flagg’s era of top talent began with a “black cloud.” Dallas lost 127-133 to the Los Angeles Clippers in double overtime on Friday and has won just three of its first 13 games of the season. Participation in the play-offs threatened to be out of reach early on.
pk/dpa
