Comments made last month by Dallas Mavericks co-owner Patrick Dumont on the controversial Luka Doncic trade have resurfaced on social media — and they have aged terribly.
Speaking at a real estate forum in Texas on February 13, Dumont attempted to justify the trade, arguing it was in the team’s long-term interest.
Not only did Dumont’s justification contradict General Manager Nico Harrison’s claim that the trade was a “win-now” move, but it also made little sense given who the Mavericks received in return for Doncic.
Dumont’s Rationalization
Dumont said he looked at the team’s potential Eastern Conference opponents in the NBA Finals and saw that they had improved significantly in the offseason. He asked himself, “How do we get better? What can we do to improve?”
His answer? Trading away the team’s best player for Anthony Davis — a perenially injured superstar — and just one first-round draft pick.
Dumont justified the move as “a decision about the future.” He boasted that the team’s new core “will put fear into a lot of opponents.”
The Mavericks’ Aging Core
It’s safe to say no player can strike fear from the bench. The Mavericks’ “long-term” core consists of three aging stars — Kyrie Irving (32), Davis (32), and Klay Thompson (35).
To make matters worse, two of them are already sidelined. Irving has been ruled out for the season, and Davis’s injury status remains uncertain, leaving the team’s supposed competitive edge in serious doubt. Meanwhile, Doncic is just 26 and entering his prime.
How exactly does this trade position the team for future success?
Former Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban also doesn’t see the logic, stating recently, “If the Mavs are going to trade Luka, that’s one thing. Just get a better deal. No disrespect to Anthony Davis, but, you know, get three — if — I still believe if we had gotten four unprotected number ones, and Anthony Davis and Max Christie, this would be a different conversation.”
Salt on Wounds
Dumont also disparaged Doncic’s work ethic, stating last month:
“If you look at the greats in the league, the people you and I grew up with — Jordan, Bird, Kobe, Shaq — 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.”
Mavericks fans might argue that Dumont doesn’t have “a singular focus to win” and “shouldn’t be part of the Dallas Mavericks.”
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