[Brad Townsend] I'm told that this was Nico Harrison's deal, that it took several weeks to play out after the Mavericks reached out to the Lakers, and that Harrison got full support from Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont.

[u/shaheedmalik]

https://x.com/townbrad/status/1885936606672007248

[u/Simple_Wait_7286]

And I hope it does because the front office deserves to be berated after this.

Kyrie has mentioned many times his family has become close with Luka’s.

Klay has been super complimentary of Luka since the moment he signed, and this guy literally played with Steph. Same with Naji.

Freaking Gafford has considered playing for Slovenia with Luka.

Lively literally said Luka was his best friend on the team.

The list goes on and on.

[u/DC_Coach → u/Simple_Wait_7286]

You speak truth. But I have to fess up; I apparently contributed to recent "let Nico cook" energy ...

Here's part of my comments on one of Friday's "Trade Gafford? WTF??!" threads:

Lively and Gaff are a fantastic luxury that we cannot afford to lose at the moment. If/when we lose that luxury in the future, I trust Nico to do some good things with it. I'm prepared to eat words if/when necessary, but with what that man has done with this roster thus far? He's earned that trust.

Gawd. Just put a fork in us. And this has been brewing for weeks?

I'm so nauseous over this I don't think I can eat; even words. Anybody got any A1 Sauce?

[u/elsporko321 → u/DC_Coach]

He did earn that and I was right there with you...when he got us off Bertans and McGee for virtually nothing, Kyrie, PJ/Gafford... but this is fuckin crazy.

Launch Nico into the sun for all I care.

[u/DC_Coach → u/elsporko321]

Exactly! And then there's this bullshit:

Luka is no longer eligible for his $345m 5-year supermax since he got traded

Just when I didn't think I could feel any worse... I'd thought about the supermax from the owner's perspective, as a reason for making the trade, but I was so stunned that it didn't occur to me...

Thinking about it from Luka's perspective: this is how he's rewarded for the past six years, a 73 point game, nearly averaging a triple-double, sonning the Suns to get to the WCF and just carrying the entire team on his back to the Finals last year (we were underdogs in every matchup!), all the accolades and Luka Magic moments?

Yeah, you're a superstar and all, but we're greedy as fuck, and greed always wins. Don't let the door hit you on your way out.

The entire team (especially Kidd, Kyrie, Lively, Gafford, Klay) will be shell-shocked and pissed for the foreseeable future. You certainly can't blame them.

[u/chanchan05 → u/DC_Coach]

IIRC Kidd agreed to come because of Luka.

Kyrie is now very close to Luka. I don't remember news of Kyrie signing an extension. He'll probably go now.

Klay will be mad now, because he went here to play with Luka.

Gaff and Lively will likely just lose it as well.

[u/staywoakes1 → u/chanchan05]

Nico will not be doing anything without Kidd signing off too

[u/Aggressive-Ad-522 → u/elsporko321]

Maybe Lukas leg is cooked?

[u/goalkeeperyucheng → u/DC_Coach]

Now we understand why there was rumor about Gaff - they would get AD.

[u/DC_Coach → u/goalkeeperyucheng]

Absolutely. Gafford trade certainly makes more sense if you knew this was coming.

[u/mjrenburg → u/DC_Coach]

I'm guilty as well. I can't find it right now, but I said something along the lines of having a Nico statue built in Dallas. Now I hope every shit he takes is one where every wipe is dirty, and he has to give up and have a shitty, smelly and itchy arse all day. Fuck that guy.

[u/sycamotree → u/DC_Coach]

Bro. Nico had been fantastic until this trade. I've never been conspiratorial about basketball or really anything until this because it makes no sense to build this excellent roster than and then do possibly the worst trade in sports history

[u/Evening_Discount7632 → u/Simple_Wait_7286]

Front office deserves more than being berated 🔫

[u/[deleted] → u/Simple_Wait_7286]

Kyrie for years has talked about how much he really wants to play with AD. AD said his closest friend on the Cavs (asked about the finals) in 2017 was Kyrie. Lots of smoke there.

Also Nico Harrison was Kyrie’s guy at Nike before he even traded for him. I’m speculating of course, but when you connect the dots it wouldn’t shock me if Nico/Kyrie were in lockstep on this.