Dirk Nowitzki ‘Completely Turned Off’ By Mavericks Franchise After Luka Doncic Trade

According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, Dirk Nowitzki is “completely turned off” by the Dallas Mavericks franchise after the Luka Doncic trade. 

Nowitzki doesn’t have a relationship with Mavericks GM Nico Harrison or new team governor Patrick Dumont. 

ESPN’s Tim McMahon:

“Dirk is completely turned off by this franchise. I’ll have more on that situation coming out once they’re eliminated, probably Thursday morning.” 😳

(via @espn_macmahon) pic.twitter.com/V2QzRa74TW

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 16, 2025

Harrison didn’t get input from Nowitzki or former Mavericks owner Mark Cuban on the Doncic trade. 

Harrison traded Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. 

“First of all, nobody really knew about this trade, it was very hush hush,” Harrison said on Tuesday. “But you can’t look for advice from people who aren’t in the building at a constant basis, because they’re not going to understand what the team is going through day in and day out.”

Nowitzki is the best player in Dallas franchise history. He has a statue outside the Mavericks’ stadium. 

“Well, let’s be clear, Dirk Nowitzki is the most important person in the franchise history, and that’s why he’s immortalized outside,” Harrison said. “In terms of how he feels, that’s a question for him, but Dirk is super important to this franchise. Any role, big or small, that he wants to play, he’ll be met with open arms. And you know, Dirk is—he’s the greatest Mav ever.”

Nowitzki has been to only two Mavericks games this season: Doncic’s Lakers debut in Los Angeles and Doncic’s return game to Dallas. 

“I’m not really sure what the culture was before I came,” Harrison said. “Obviously, Dirk was an amazing player. He’s the single most important player to this franchise. Luka, on the other hand, is another amazing player, and has had a good run. But going forward, we believe that defense is going to be our calling card, and versatility and depth. And I think when you look at how we’re going to build this roster, we need to have all three of those things – defense, versatility and depth. And so when we had the opportunity to get Anthony Davis, we did that. In terms of the culture, I think you watch the players on the floor, you see how hard they play, and that should let you know the type of culture that we have in our locker room and in our arena.”