OKLAHOMA CITY – After one of the most lopsided defeats of his career, Lakers star Luka Doncic was asked about the departure of Nico Harrison, who was the architect of the trade that brought him to Los Angeles from the Dallas Mavericks. Harrison, president of basketball operations and general manager of Dallas, was fired on Tuesday by Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont. After the Lakers’ 121-92 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night, Doncic was asked about his reaction to the news.
When asked if he could imagine returning to play for the Mavericks now that Harrison no longer works for the organization, Doncic replied: “At the moment, I’m only focused on the Lakers. No further comment.” In February, Harrison surprised the basketball world by trading Doncic to the Lakers in a deal centered on Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and the Los Angeles’ first-round pick in 2029. Maxi Kleber, who was included by the Mavericks to adjust salaries, was also asked about his reaction to the news of Harrison after the Lakers’ morning shooting session. It’s a fast business, man. Players, general managers, coaches, everyone. So you always have to be ready for the next move. Doncic, who was acquired by the Mavericks in a trade on the night of the 2018 draft with the Atlanta Hawks, became Rookie of the Year and was a five-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA selection, one-time scoring champion, and the MVP of the 2024 Western Conference Finals, all before turning 25, with his former team. He had an electrifying start for Los Angeles this season, averaging 37.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 9.1 assists in his first seven games, before struggling against the defending champion, the Thunder. Doncic finished with a season-low 19 points on 7-of-20 shooting (1-of-7 from three), 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 turnovers. The Lakers were outscored by 31 points in the 33 minutes Doncic was on the court, and his 32-point deficit at halftime was the largest Doncic has had in the first half of his eight-year career.The city of Dallas, the fans, the players, will always have a special place in my heart. I thought I would stay there forever, but it wasn’t so. It will always be a special place for me. I will always call it home. But right now, I’m focused on the Lakers and trying to move forward. Obviously, there will always be a part of me there.
Luka Doncic
Oklahoma City improved to a league-best 12-1 record. The Lakers, with an 8-4 record, are No. 5 in the West on their five-game trip that concludes with back-to-back games in New Orleans and Milwaukee. “It’s not worrying,” Doncic said when asked about the substantial gap between the two teams at the start of the season. “I think it’s more of a great motivation… They were the champions for a reason, and it’s a great motivation. They started the year even better [than last season], I think. It’s a great motivation to see how they play and try to stop them.”It definitely wasn’t our best game. Probably one of the worst of this season, but they did a great job. I think everyone did a great job with me. They are champions for a reason, so they showed it today. I think we need to be more prepared. Obviously, it starts with me. I need to be much better than that and I just have to figure it out.
Luka Doncic
