Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison is doubling down on his stance that his decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers at the deadline was the right move for the organization's future.
"There's no regrets on the trade," Harrison said during a closed-door media roundtable Tuesday in which the blockbuster Doncic deal dominated the discussion, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon.
"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."
Harrison also reiterated the importance of defense on a championship team, a point he made when initially justifying his decision to trade Doncic for a package headlined by perennial All-Defensive big man Anthony Davis in early February.
When asked about Mavs fans calling for his dismissal, Harrison highlighted his track record of acquiring Kyrie Irving, Daniel Gafford, and P.J. Washington - all of whom played key roles in the club's run to the Finals last season.
"Well, the beauty of Dallas is it is a passionate fan base," Harrison said. "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."
The 52-year-old insisted that fans' "vitriol would've subsided" if Davis' long-term abductor injury in his Mavs debut and Irving's season-ending ACL tear in early March hadn't hit the team.
New Mavericks CEO Rick Welts, who also attended Tuesday's roundtable, cited next season's 75%-80% ticket renewal as proof that fans still support Harrison.
"That doesn't mean that there's a segment of our fan base that doesn't feel alienated right now, and I think that we hear 'em," Welts said. "And it's on us to win back that trust."
Harrison said he believes the organization's championship window is in the next "three-to-four years," adding that he intends to remain with the Mavericks through the final three years of his contract.
Dallas will face the Sacramento Kings in the play-in tournament's West matchup between the Nos. 9 and 10 teams. The winner will take on either the Memphis Grizzlies or the Golden State Warriors for the No. 8 seed in the conference's playoff bracket; the loser gets eliminated.
