Since his shocking trade to the Los Angeles Lakers, Luka Doncic has often said he expected to spend his entire career in Dallas.
So it came as no surprise Wednesday night that Doncic was asked whether he would consider returning to the Dallas Mavericks one day, now that the executive who traded him, Nico Harrison, has been fired as general manager.
“Right now, I’m just focused on the Lakers,” Doncic said with a smile after the Lakers’ 121-92 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. “No further comments.”
The Mavericks fired Harrison on Tuesday, less than 10 months after they sent Doncic to the Lakers as part of a wider trade that brought back Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick.
Trading away Doncic, a homegrown superstar who led Dallas to the NBA Finals eight months earlier, prompted prolonged unrest within the Mavericks fan base, and chants of “Fire Nico” became a regular refrain at home games.
At the time of the trade, Harrison preached a vision focused on defense. But injuries have limited the 6-10 Davis, who was supposed to be the Mavs’ defensive anchor, to 16 of a possible 47 games since the trade, including last season’s play-in tournament.
The Mavericks are just 17-30 since the trade, including 3-9 this season.
“The city of Dallas, the fans, players, they’ll always have a special place in my heart,” Doncic, 26, said Wednesday in his initial reaction to Harrison’s firing.
“I thought I was going to stay there forever, but I didn’t. That will always be a special place for me. Always, I can call it home. But right now, I’m focused on the Lakers, trying to move on. But obviously, always, there’s gonna be part of me there.”
Last offseason, Doncic signed a three-year, $165 million contract extension with a 2028 player option with the Lakers.
Doncic is averaging 34.9 points, 9.1 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game this season for the Lakers, who are 8-4 despite being without LeBron James due to sciatica, a nerve condition affecting his right side.
The Mavericks, meanwhile, entered Thursday tied for the second-worst record in the Western Conference, overshadowing the optimism that followed them winning last summer’s draft lottery and selecting do-it-all forward Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick.
“I understand the profound impact these difficult last several months have had,” Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont wrote in an open letter to fans after Harrison’s termination. “Please know that I’m fully committed to the success of the Mavericks.”
