Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison on Tuesday held his most comprehensive media briefing since pulling the trigger on the much-maligned trade that shipped Luka Doncic out of town. Microphones and other recording devices were not allowed during the question-and-answer session, a choice that a lot of people had a problem with—but it's worth considering if Harrison's response would have fallen equally flat if we had moving pictures instead of a complete transcript.
The thing he said that got the most attention was claiming that he didn't have any regrets about the deal, which has turned him into a very unpopular figure in the Mavericks universe. And again, just because Harrison is America's softest target right now, what is he supposed to say? That he really biffed it and can't stop thinking about what a mistake he made? People wouldn't like that much either.
Anyway, First Take and Stephen A. Smith dove into the topic on Wednesday and the network's highest-profile pundit didn't love it.
"You shut up and you go home. That's what [Nico Harrison] should do." 😳 @stephenasmith says he "hated" Nico Harrison's recent comments on having "no regrets" about trading Luka Doncic 👀 pic.twitter.com/GnyHw33TN5
— First Take (@FirstTake) April 16, 2025
"It might behoove you not to talk at all," Smith said. "Just let the whole damn season end. Because there's nothing that you can do to explain it ... You don't have a press conference right now and talk about it, you just don't. You shut up and you go home. That's what you do. Do your exit interviews when the season's over."
Well, the Mavericks season is over as they failed to make the playoffs. So that last part is slightly difficult to understand. The idea that Harrison should stop talking completely because it only makes things worse is not an uncommon stance. Yet he'd get crushed if he went that route too. Essentially he's in a no-win situation by his own making. And fans of the Mavs are now in there too. Nothing he says or doesn't say is going to change that fact for a long time. Possibly ever.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Stephen A. Smith Crushes Nico Harrison for 'No Regrets' Comment on Luka Doncic Trade.
