Bill Simmons: Nico Harrison should ‘bathe in the adoration’ of disastrous Luka Dončić trade

Was the trade that sent Luka Dončić from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers the worst trade in NBA history?

That question was asked as soon as the news broke that the Mavericks sent their superstar, in the prime of his career, to LA for a broken-down Anthony Davis and spare parts.

In the year since the trade, Mavericks GM Nico Harrison was fired, and Anthony Davis played 29 games for Dallas before getting shipped off to the Washington Wizards. If not for (somehow) getting the No. 1 pick in the draft and selecting Cooper Flagg, the debate might already be settled for the Mavericks.

Dončić’s defensive lapses have cast doubt on the argument along the way, but when the Slovenian star is playing to his potential, it’s hard to argue that Harrison made one of the worst, if not the worst, moves in NBA front-office history.

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons thinks that, instead of running from the scorn of Dallas fans, Harrison should attempt to appreciate the warm embrace he’d feel from Lakers fans thrilled by the too-good-to-be-true outcome of the deal.

@billsimmonspod Nico Harrison has made the worst sports trade ever and Bill believes he should fully embrace it. #nba #nbabasketball #nicoharrison #lukadoncic #lakers #fyp ♬ original sound – The Bill Simmons Podcast

“Nico Harrison. He did it. There’s never been a worse sports trade,” Simmons said on the latest episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast. “We thought last year it was possible. We were hoping, but there was still a chance. Like, maybe Davis will be really good on Dallas. Well, what happens when AD gets healthy? And then they gave AD away. And then it was, yeah, but you know, you watch Luka in LA, you can kind of see what Nico was thinking. And now, on March 22nd, 2026, it’s the worst trade anyone’s ever made.

“He should come to a game. Like, I would zag the other way. Come to a Laker game. Bathe in the applause. Bathe in the adoration. Accept the thank yous from the Laker fans. Instead of being booed and humiliated in Dallas, zag the other way. You made this other fan base really happy. Go accept their congratulations.”

Podcast guest Zach Lowe took things to the next level, playfully positing that perhaps Harrison was actually trying to help the Lakers on the down low with the deal.

“What if it’s all a long con where he’s been colluding with Mark Walter for years, and this was his move to eventually replace Pelinka in the end,” asked Lowe. “What if it’s all been part of a long scheme?”

“That would be one of the biggest scandals in NBA history,” added Simmons. “‘We have fired Rob Pelinka, and we’ve replaced him with Nico Harrison.’ And he pulls off his Mavs pullover.”

Sadly for Harrison, while that scenario sounds amazing, pulling the trigger on arguably the worst trade in NBA history on purpose and expecting it to pay off is far more likely to be the truth.