After the trade, Harrison and the Mavericks leaked some reports about Doncic and his poor conditioning being the reason they decided to trade him. Luka has remained classy throughout a difficult situation for him though and that was again the case after Wednesday night’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder when he was asked about Harrison’s firing, via Spectrum SportsNet: “Look, I mean, the city of Dallas, fans, players, they’re all have a special place in my heart. I thought I was gonna stay there forever. But I didn’t. So they’ll 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 gonna be part of me in there. Just trying to move on and focus on what we’re doing.” Doncic was then asked if he can see himself returning to the Mavericks sometime down the road but maintained that his focus is on his current team: “Right now I’m just focused on the Lakers. No further comments.”
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Zach Lowe: I’ve definitely heard that there were people once they found out who tried to if not stop it then say, “Hey, let’s let’s pause, reconsider.” I don’t know where (Michael Finley and Matt Ricardi) stood. Um but if you if you can’t if these guys can’t come out and truthfully say in a way that no one else in those rooms can rebut privately, according to sources, that they stood up against this trade, I don’t think they’re going to last as as the co-GMs of the team. YouTube | Nov. 12, 2025
With the losing, the injuries and the negativity mounting, league sources said Dumont was hearing from the man whose choice to sell the team to him opened the door to this disaster in the first place. Cuban, who still owns 27 percent of the team, was known to be frustrated with Harrison for freezing him out after the sale and not consulting him on the choice to trade Luka Doncic. League sources say he made his case to Dumont over the last several months that Harrison was steering the franchise in the wrong direction. New York Times | Nov. 12, 2025
Speaking of Finley … He not only will share interim GM duties with former Nets executive and Dallas-area native Riccardi but is also frequently described as the member of Harrison’s front office team, league sources say, who voiced the strongest opposition to the Dončić deal at the time it was presented. marcstein.substack.com | Nov. 12, 2025
Dumont smiled several times throughout the conversation and was receptive to the apology, Dickason said, while stating the governor admitted to a level of remorse for the unpopular decision. “He said he was trying to do what’s best for the organization,” Dickason said, “and ‘Sometimes you have good intentions and you make mistakes.’ We all do it.” Although a portion of Dickason’s talk with Dumont centered on the trade and his history as a Mavericks fan, which he’s been since he was “4 or 5” years old, the message he wanted to share was his apology. “I shouldn’t have flipped him off on opening night,” Dickason said. “Heat of the moment thing, and I had to go apologize for that. He was very receptive and very open to talking about the Mavericks.” Dallas Morning News | Nov. 11, 2025
A teenager wearing a gold Los Angeles Lakers version of Doncic’s No. 77 jersey sat next to Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont for roughly five minutes while the two shared a conversation Monday. The scene was perplexing, given Dumont was a strong supporter of general manager Nico Harrison’s decision to deal Doncic to the Lakers in exchange for a package headlined by Anthony Davis. Dallas Morning News | Nov. 11, 2025
And while Reaves learned years ago how to thrive alongside James, he has quickly developed a communication style with Luka Doncic that is all their own. Their friendship, or “bromance,” as multiple team sources described it to ESPN, runs on a steady stream of teasing and locker room humor. When Reaves told ESPN he thought Doncic could average 40 points this season, Luka smirked and said, “Austin’s stupid.” Days later, asked to describe Doncic, Reaves answered, “He’s an idiot.” “They both realized that they both enjoy talking trash — a lot,” Redick said. “And their personalities in that regard are very similar. And so they can create a little bit of chemistry with each other just by being their natural selves.” ESPN | Nov. 11, 2025
The last time Luka Doncic had a half-court dunk where he hung from the rim was during the 2023 preseason. Dončić has preferred to save his legs. But he did point out that he has more dunks this season than Austin Reaves, who returned to action Monday night in Charlotte after missing three games with a groin strain. “He’s a hater,” Dončić said of Reaves. “He’s got zero. No, it was good. I can dunk. I just don’t want to do it all the time.” “I have layups; they’re all worth 2 points,” said Reaves, who teamed up with Dončić to drop seven assists apiece against the Hornets. New York Times | Nov. 11, 2025
Shams Charania: The Mavericks are firing Harrison nine months after the jarring and stunning Luka Doncic trade – a move for which Dumont took accountability and accepted as a mistake in a court-side interaction with a fan on Monday night. x.com | Nov. 11, 2025
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Luka Doncic calls Dallas ‘home’ but says he’s focused on the Lakers
