Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis, the team's return in the infamous Luka Doncic trade, spoke publicly about the firing of Nico Harrison for the first time.
Anthony Davis hasn't spent a ton of time on the court for the Dallas Mavericks, but he spent enough time with the organization to bond with the man who made him a part of it: Nico Harrison, the then-general manager who infamously traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Davis, Max Christie and a future first-round pick back in February.
In the weeks following Harrison's firing - a decision by team governor Patrick Dumont on Nov. 11 that largely settles the chaotic nine-month aftermath surrounding Davis' arrival - the Mavs' star big man has now opened up about his relationship with his former boss and his reaction to the news.
“It was surprising to all of us,” Davis said to reporters after Wednesday’s practice. “At least as players, we didn’t know it was happening. Nico’s my guy — he played a huge part in bringing me here and believing in me to fulfill his vision. It was definitely tough.”
Davis fit into Harrison's vision of "defense wins championships". In the middle of last season, however, Davis was not lucky enough to find any positive momentum on the court as he suffered a serious adductor strain three quarters into his Mavs debut. That injury was compounded with many more across the Mavericks roster, including star point guard Kyrie Irving's and his torn ACL.
With Harrison gone and Davis still on the team (and still injured, this time with a calf strain) the same championship pursuit will carry on under new leadership. Dallas appointed assistant GMs Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley to take over operations in interim.
“Me and Nico talked. Me and Patrick talked,” Davis said leading up to and after the firing. “That’s just the business of basketball. Once I had those conversations, I was able to move forward, focus on my rehab, and get back to trying to compete and win games — and ultimately win a championship.”
Now, Davis, who has averaged 20.8 points and 10.2 rebounds in five games this season, is fast approaching his return to the court after not playing since Oct. 29.
The Mavericks anticipate Davis to be active for the team's Black Friday matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers - Davis' old team - at Crypto.com arena.
That's the immediate future. The longterm outlook on Davis' tenure with the Mavs remains uncertain. He has been rumored to be the center of trade conversations inside Mavs leadership circles as the organization continues to maneuver this situation ... all while Doncic is leading the league in scoring (32.2) to go with 8.8 rebounds and 9.2 assists per game.
"Man, look. Y'all make it like we’re going to war or something. This is basketball," Davis said about his inclusion in trade rumors. "It comes with it ... That doesn’t affect me. I’ve been in trade talks for a while. My job is to do what I do when I’m on the floor, play basketball and try to lead this team. Whatever comes out of that, comes out of that.”