The Dallas Mavericks are facing a depressing reality after the baffling decision from general manager Nico Harrison and team governor Patrick Dumont to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers prior to the NBA Trade Deadline. Since then, not much has gone right for the franchise as the Mavericks limped to the conclusion of the season before being ousted by the Memphis Grizzlies in an uninspiring play-in game.
Dallas has earned plenty of criticism for the way it shipped off one of the brightest stars in the league. The fallout from this move could have ramifications in the years to come.
READ MORE: How Mavericks GM Nico Harrison pushed legend Dirk Nowitzki away from the franchise
Per an anonymous players' poll collected by The Athletic, the Mavericks haven't done themselves any favors across the league. Dallas checked in as the sixth-worst franchise in the league behind Charlotte, Washington, New Orleans, Sacramento, and Philadelphia, picking up 4.4% of the vote. 158 total players from all 30 teams in the NBA participated in the voting.
The Mavericks are the only team on the list to appear in the NBA Finals in the last decade.
The Mavericks are now considered one of the NBA’s worst franchises according to players in the anonymous players survey conducted by @TheAthleticNBA #MFFL pic.twitter.com/0tdX9R8dqi
— Kevin Gray Jr. (@KevinGraySports) April 22, 2025
It would make sense for players to have skepticism about joining the Mavericks. After all, if a franchise is willing to smear the face of their team through the mud, what are they going to do to the next guy?
For what it's worth, Harrison says he doesn't have any concerns about Dallas's ability to attract talent in the future.
"No, I don't. I think that's one of the reasons why I'm here. But it's not just me. It's Dallas. It's one of the fifth-largest Metroplexes in the U.S. It's a great city to live in," Harrison said last week. "The fan base is amazing, part of the fire Nico chants, although you'd rather the fans cheer for the team, and may not be the story, it's a great fan base, and you need that fan base to win, and so I think that's an attraction.
"J-Kidd, a Hall of Fame point guard as your coach. I think all that kind of helps to attract," Harrison continued. 'It's not just the Nico Harrison show, but to answer your question, no, that won't affect our ability to attract free agents."
Time will only tell if Harrison's assumptions are correct. It won't necessarily matter for the Mavericks this summer as the team is already well over the cap and will be limited when it comes to adding free agents to the roster.
READ MORE: Nico Harrison's treatment of former Mavericks employee should be the last straw
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