Doncic Trade Has 'Shocked' Donnie Trashing Mavs GM Nico for No 'Decent Funeral'
Donnie Nelson was the architect of the best Dallas Mavericks rosters in franchise history during his reign as general manager and director of basketball operations from 1998-2021. His resume is bookended by bringing two of the franchise's best players to Dallas: Dirk Nowitzki and Luka Doncic.
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Nelson was with Dallas for the entirety of Nowitzki's career, but his time came to an end early into Doncic's, mutually parting ways with the Mavericks before Nico Harrison was hired as his replacement.
Harrison struck the sports world and Mavs fanbase ablaze a couple years into his job when he traded the new franchise icon in Doncic. Even worse than the ridiculousness of the trade and its return was Harrison and the Mavericks' handling of the situation, often referencing Doncic in a demeaning tone and making countless questionable media and press decisions amid the scrutiny.
Like many fans, Nelson was not pleased. Not just with The Trade to begin with, but with the manner in which Harrison and the team tried to put out the fire in the aftermath.
Nelson didn't hold back his thoughts when discussing the situation with Slovenian news outlet Ekipa 24. He has recently been hired as a special advisor to the Slovenian national team, reuniting with Slovenia's finest Doncic in pursuit of Olympic qualification in 2028.
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The former Mavericks exec couldn't help but compare Doncic's career with that of Nowitzki's, ripping the Mavs for their disrespect to a franchise great.
'We were with Dirk Nowitzki for 21 years, and the last three years were out of pure respect," Nelly said about Nowitzki's twilight before official retirement. "People like that deserve to say goodbye on their own terms and according to their wishes, and everyone deserves a decent funeral, figurative or literal.'
Harrison did not give Doncic that treatment whatsoever, breaking the news on a Friday night that had actually been in the works long before Luka willed the Mavericks to the NBA Finals.
Nelson poignantly had a one-word response to the trade itself: "shocked".
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And further ... "still shocked".
"You have to understand that some players are different, special, and even more important to the environment and the community. It's important to treat those players with respect," Nelson added.
Donnie also stated that this situation simply "wouldn't have happened" under his watch.
So much of the "loyalty" energy that flowed through Mavericks organization during Dirk's tenure had evaporated in the waning moments of Luka's ... and that emptiness still remains.
However, Harrison has had a guardian angel in the form of a ping-pong ball that won Dallas the lottery and awarded the No. 1 overall draft pick with the right to add star phenom Cooper Flagg to the roster.
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Harrison surely has learned from these mistakes, whether he's listened to Nelson and the fans' harsh criticism or not. Nico has stated that Flagg is a generational, "once-in-a-lifetime" player ... but as Nelson might agree...
We've already seen how he handled one of those.
Related: Mavs' Official Summer League Roster and Schedule Announced
Related: Luka Doncic and Donnie Nelson International Reunion Announced
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
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