"No regrets" - Nico Harrison makes his feelings known about trading away Luka Doncic in select-only press conference

Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison held a closed-door meeting with the Dallas-based media on Wednesday to discuss the blockbuster Luka Doncic trade and the team's current state. In the private press conference, Harrison remained firm on his decision to trade the former franchise player to the LA Lakers for Anthony Davis.

Harrison said he has no regrets about making the trade two months ago, believing that it was for the best of the Mavericks franchise despite them falling to the 10th seed in the latter stages of the regular season.

"There's no regrets on the trade," he said. "Part of my job is to do the best thing for the Mavericks, not only today, but also in the future, and some of the decisions I'm going to make are going to be unpopular. That's my job and I have to stand by it."

The Mavericks finished the regular season with a 39-43 record, good enough to reach the play-in tournament as the 10th seed. They will face the ninth-seed Sacramento Kings on Wednesday for a playoff spot.

Dallas drafted Doncic in 2018, and he quickly became the face of their franchise. The Slovenian star steered the franchise to a Western Conference Finals appearance in 2022 and an NBA Finals stint last year, which ended in a loss against the reigning champions, the Boston Celtics.

Following the trade, the team’s fans held rallies against the trade, showering Harrison with lofty criticisms at every home game.

Harrison appealed for the fans to remain patient as every trade does not always pan out immediately.

"Well, the beauty of Dallas is it's a passionate fan base. For us to reach our goals, we need that fan base. And to be honest with you, every trade I've made since I've been here has not been regarded as a good trade, and so sometimes it takes time,” he said.

Harrison has also received boos from Dallas fans whenever he is shown on the screens of their home arena.

Nic Harrison reaffirms 'defense wins championship' mentality as rationale in Doncic trade

Despite the backlash, Nico Harrison believed his defensive philosophy, which he cited as his way to deliver the NBA championship to the Mavericks, is the backbone of the Luka Doncic deal.

In the same meeting, Harrison reaffirmed that the team will be built on that principle moving forward.

“Our philosophy, like I said, going forward is defense wins championships and we're built on defense. And this trade cements us for that," he said.

Harrison’s vision has yet to come to fruition for Dallas, following numerous bad lucks on their team post-Doncic trade as the team suffered numerous injuries to its key players, especially Kyrie Irving, who tore his ACL last March.

Davis, a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate during his time with the New Orleans Pelicans and the Lakers, also picked up an injury in his first game with Dallas.