Did the Dallas Mavericks use axed general manager Nico Harrison as a scapegoat to avoid paying Luka Doncic the supermax contract? This conspiracy theory has been widely floated ever since the Mavericks shockingly traded Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers last season. And now that the Mavericks have fired Harrison, Charles Barkley believes it’s time for the franchise to own up.
On Wednesday’s edition of “Inside the NBA” on ESPN, Barkley implored Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont to “have the courage” to admit that Harrison was only the fall guy for ownership’s decision to trade Doncic.
The 1993 NBA MVP prefaced his comments by stating that he was “biased” as he and Harrison are close friends.
“Nico got screwed — 100 percent,” Barkley stressed. “Because if you go back and look at this thing, the trades he made a few years ago is the reason the Mavericks made it to the [2024] Finals, when he got them P.J. Washington and [Daniel] Gafford.
“The Mavs were a mediocre team until Nico made those trades.”
Mavericks Ruined By Injuries
Barkley added that Harrison ran into some bad luck after the Doncic-Anthony Davis trade, as Davis has been hurt for 90% of his stint with the franchise, and Kyrie Irving has yet to play a full game with the 2020 NBA champion.
“The thing that bothers me is he’s just being made a scapegoat,” Barkley added.
“Listen, Shaq knows this, Kenny knows this. There’s no way in the world Nico Harrison had the power to trade Luka Doncic unless the owner of the team signed off on it.”
“I feel bad for the way Nico is being made a scapegoat.”
“He’s had a streak of bad luck with Anthony Davis and Kyrie both getting hurt, but the premise of this trade being blamed on Nico Harrison?” Chuck added. “I hear all these fools and idiots on TV saying Nico Harrison’s the guy who traded Luka Doncic — no. The Dallas Mavericks organization made that call.”
Mavericks Move On From Nico
The Mavericks are ready to move past the Nico Harrison era, for the most part, in an effort to win back the support of their rabid fan base.
Durmont wrote an open letter to the fanbase hours after firing Harrison.
“When the results don’t meet expectations, it’s my responsibility to act,” he wrote. ” I’ve made the decision to part ways with General Manager Nico Harrison.”
“I understand the profound impact these difficult last several months have had. Please know that I’m fully committed to the success of the Mavericks.
“Thank you for your support, thank you for holding us accountable, and thank you for your passion and for your patience. You deserve transparency and a team that reflects your spirit. Our goal is to return winning basketball to Dallas and win championships.”
The Mavericks (3-9) lost their first game after firing Harrison on Wednesday, suffering a 123-114 loss to the Phoenix Suns. They are widely expected to miss the playoffs.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post ‘Nico Got Screwed’: Charles Barkley Goes Scorched Earth on Mavericks appeared first on Heavy Sports.