Ex-Mavs executive tells all about Luka Doncic's smoking, drinking, and eating habits that led GM Nico Harrison to trade him to the Lakers

The Luka Doncic trade from the Dallas Mavericks to the LA Lakers continues to be discussed well after the move that changed the NBA landscape. In a recent report, former Mavericks executive Haralabos Voulgaris explained how the Slovenian superstar's lifestyle habits led GM Nico Harrison to make the trade.

The Athletic profiled Harrison after his massive move and reported that the organization attempted to push Doncic in the right direction. While the guard averaged a healthy 27 points, at least eight rebounds, and as many assists in his first five seasons in the league, the word inside was that the 25-year-old "controlled more day-to-day decisions."

The report also highlighted how the 25-year-old had a lifestyle that included drinking beer and smoking a hookah, neither of which fit Harrison's idea of a star player and commitment to the craft.

Speaking on the podcast 'My First Million,' Voulgaris, who served with the Mavs from 2018-2021 told a story of Doncic filling a thermos with lemonade and sweet tea.

“Every person who worked at the Mavericks, except for me, was terrified of this guy. I know liquid calories are death."

When he did tell then-team owner Mark Cuban, he was told to "stay in his lane." These led to concerns where Harrison believed that Doncic's body would take a beating and it eventually reached a point where the GM decided to move on and replace him.

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GM Nico Harrison put team culture over star commodity when addressing the Luka Doncic trade

When addressing the trade that saw Luka Doncic make way for Anthony Davis and Max Christie, GM Nico Harrison believed the players coming in would add to the Mavericks team culture.

“There are levels to it, and there are people that fit the culture, and there are people that come in and add to the culture," Harrison said in a press conference. "Those are two distinct things and I believe the people that are coming in are adding to the culture.”

With the new-look outfit for the rest of the season, Dallas will hope that the post-Doncic era can bring them a championship. While the lethal guard and an experienced campaigner in Kyrie Irving led the Mavs to the NBA Finals last season, they fell short of the Boston Celtics. It remains to be seen if Luka Doncic proves his former franchise wrong, or whether Harrison was right in his move.