Since his surprising commerce to the Los Angeles Lakers, Luka Doncic has typically mentioned he anticipated to spend his whole profession in Dallas.
So it got here as no shock Wednesday night time that Doncic was requested whether or not he would contemplate returning to the Dallas Mavericks at some point, now that the chief who traded him, Nico Harrison, has been fired as basic supervisor.
“Right now, I’m just focused on the Lakers,” Doncic mentioned with a smile after the Lakers’ 121-92 loss to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder. “No further comments.”
The Mavericks fired Harrison on Tuesday, lower than 10 months after they despatched Doncic to the Lakers as a part of a wider commerce that introduced again Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round choose.
Buying and selling away Doncic, a homegrown famous person who led Dallas to the NBA Finals eight months earlier, prompted extended unrest inside the Mavericks fan base, and chants of “Fire Nico” turned an everyday chorus at residence video games.
On the time of the commerce, Harrison preached a imaginative and prescient centered on protection. However accidents have restricted the 6-10 Davis, who was purported to be the Mavs’ defensive anchor, to 16 of a doable 47 video games because the commerce, together with final season’s play-in match.
The Mavericks are simply 17-30 because the commerce, together with 3-9 this season.
“The city of Dallas, the fans, players, they’ll always have a special place in my heart,” Doncic, 26, mentioned Wednesday in his preliminary response 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.”
Final offseason, Doncic signed a three-year, $165 million contract extension with a 2028 participant possibility with the Lakers.
Doncic is averaging 34.9 factors, 9.1 rebounds and eight.9 assists per sport this season for the Lakers, who’re 8-4 regardless of being with out LeBron James as a result of sciatica, a nerve situation affecting his proper facet.
The Mavericks, in the meantime, entered Thursday tied for the second-worst file within the Western Convention, overshadowing the optimism that adopted them profitable final summer time’s draft lottery and choosing do-it-all ahead Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 choose.
“I understand the profound impact these difficult last several months have had,” Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont wrote in an open letter to followers after Harrison’s termination. “Please know that I’m fully committed to the success of the Mavericks.”
