Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont defends Luka Doncic trade

If you're wondering whether Dallas Mavericks ownership had any reservations in the days following their decision to ship off franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic, the answer is no.

Majority stakeholder and team governor Patrick Dumont stood by the deal in a conversation with the Dallas Morning News that was published on Sunday.

"It's hard to make tough decisions," he explained. "But when you want to pursue excellence in an organization, you have to make the tough decisions.

"In my mind, the way teams win is by focus, by having the right character, by having the right culture, and having the right dedication to work as hard as possible to create a championship-winning outcome. And if you’re not doing that, you’re going to lose."

It's the first time Dumont has spoken publicly since the blockbuster deal last week that sent Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis.

He did acknowledge "it's been an emotional week."

Doncic was selected third overall in 2018, with the Mavs trading to acquire the Slovenian star on draft night. He spent seven years in Dallas, earning five All-Star nods and being named to five consecutive All-NBA first teams. He holds career averages of 28.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.2 steals through 422 games on 47.0/34.8/74.8 per cent shooting splits.

The 25-year-old was an MVP finalist last season after leading the league in scoring with 33.9 points per game. He led the Mavericks to their first Finals appearance since Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki brought the franchise its first title in 2011.

General manager Nico Harrison has cited the phrase "defence wins championship" in swapping out Doncic for Davis, a three-time blocks leader and five-time All-Defence member.

Meanwhile, Doncic was eligible for a super-max extension of five years and $350 million, but reports indicated that the Mavericks had reservations about making such a large investment due to the star guard's conditioning. Doncic has missed 22 consecutive games due to a calf strain, a lingering injury with which he reportedly entered training camp.

Dumont's comments did little to dissuade speculation on the team's presumed frustrations with Doncic.

“If you look at the greats in the league, the people you and I grew up with — (Michael) Jordan, (Larry) Bird, Kobe Bryant, (Shaquille O'Neal) — they worked really hard, every day, with a singular focus to win. And if you don’t have that, it doesn’t work. And if you don’t have that, you shouldn’t be part of the Dallas Mavericks,” Dumont said.

Basketball fans in Dallas appeared outraged once news broke last week of the shocking deal. Many took to the streets and began protesting outside the Mavericks' American Airlines Center, aiming much of their ire in the direction of Harrison.

The Mavericks responded by increasing the level of security and law enforcement personnel outside the arena ahead of their first home game since the deal on Saturday. Meanwhile, Harrison did not sit in his usual seat in the stands.

For what it's worth, the GM has the support of his ownership group.

"I've said it all along, 'In Nico we trust,'" Dumont said last week. “You have to respect the track record. You have to respect his intellect. You have to respect his relationships and his judgment and his point of view and the way he communicates. I respect that. Our whole family respects it.”

The Dumonts took over majority ownership of the Mavericks in January 2024 when Mark Cuban sold 73 per cent of his stake in the team.

Cuban also broke his silence on the trade recently but opted for a more light-hearted approach. He jokingly asked Microsoft founder Bill Gates for advice on the matter during a panel at a conference.

"If after you left Microsoft, you found out that (Former Microsoft CEO, current L.A. Clippers owner) Steve Ballmer traded Windows 11 — the new hot operating system — for Windows 10 — a Hall of Fame, but older operating system — what would you do?"

As Gates and the crowd laughed at the question, Cuban — who owned the team for over 20 years — smirkingly added "I know a couple of other people that are in that situation."

Dumont added that the team is hoping for no hard feelings down the line with Doncic.

"I want you to know I really sympathize with all of our fans who feel hurt. Look, as far as I’m concerned, Luka is a Mav for life and I really wish him nothing but happiness and success in his career as he continues in LA.”