Much like the passionate Mavericks fan base, franchise legend Dirk Nowitzki was disheartened by the team’s decision to trade away Luka Doncic midseason. Dirk had long seen Luka as the rightful heir to his legacy. But the team dealt Doncic to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis.
Nowitzki and Mavs former owner Mark Cuban were totally unaware of the team’s decision. Reportedly, Dirk wasted no time reaching out to Luka with a text after the news broke.
Nowitzki’s relationship with the Mavericks has grown tense in recent months due to how the organization is currently being run. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon shared some insight on the situation during a recent episode of The Hoop Collective. According to MacMahon, Dirk Nowitzki has become frustrated and disconnected from the team he once carried.
“Dirk is completely turned off by this franchise. I’ll have more on that situation coming out once they’re eliminated, probably Thursday morning. I asked, ‘Hey, why not seek Dirk’s input? Why not seek Cuban’s input? He said, ‘If they’re not in the building, they don’t know what’s going on,” MacMahon said.
Dirk Nowitzki is not in a good place with the Mavericks lately with how the organization is running things per @espn_mcmahon 😯 pic.twitter.com/TPhQAWxae3
— Ball Exclusives (@ballexclusives) April 17, 2025
“Dirk’s not in the building, and the reason Cuban’s not in the building. Because Nico made sure he got his butt kicked out of basketball operations once that trade went through,” he added.
Nowitzki and Doncic shared the court during the 2018-19 season. It appeared that Dirk had passed the torch to Luka before retiring the following season.
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Mavericks GM Defends Exclusion Of Dirk Nowitzki In Luka Doncic’s Trade Decision
On the podcast, MacMahon recounted a revealing exchange he had with Mavericks GM Nico Harrison regarding Dirk Nowitzki and Cuban’s absence in decision-making.
“I asked [GM Nico Harrison], ‘Why not seek Dirk’s input? Why not seek Cuban’s input?’ He basically said if they’re not in the building, they don’t know what’s going on,” McMahon said.
For what it’s worth, the Mavericks gave fans a brief reason to cheer as they defeated the Sacramento Kings 120-106 on the road during the Play-In tournament. The win keeps their postseason hopes alive and sets up a final play-in clash against the Memphis Grizzlies to decide the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.
also Read: Nico Harrison Facing Major Backlash After Shocking Admission
