When Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison met reporters earlier this week for the first time since trading franchise cornerstone and fan favorite Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, he did so in a very strange fashion—only allowing select reporters and not permitting cameras or any recording devices.
Needless to say, the nature of the presser has been highly scrutinized by both fans and media alike in recent days. Now? It's come to light that the meeting wasn’t even Harrison’s decision, but rather initiated by Mavericks ownership.
"My understanding is Nico Harrison did not want to do this closed-door roundtable," ESPN's Shams Charania shared on NBA Countdown on Wednesday night. "This was not his idea. This was something that was enforced by their owner, Patrick Dumont."
"Nico Harrison did not want to do this closed-door roundtable. This was not his idea. This was something that was enforced by their owner, Patrick Dumont."@ShamsCharania on the Mavs GM's press conference. pic.twitter.com/lPilLq8iin
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 17, 2025
Yikes.
Despite all of the vitriol, the Mavericks finished the 2024-25 season in 10th place in the Western Conference and have a chance to make the postseason through the play-in tournament, starting with a win against the Kings on Wednesday night in Sacramento.
Perhaps they'd already be there if they didn't trade Luka...
More NBA on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Nico Harrison's Awkward End-of-Season Press Conference Was Enforced by Mavericks Ownership.
