The Anthony Davis Trade Proves Nico Harrison Wrong and Ends a Mavericks Era
The Dallas Mavericks’ stunning decision to trade Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards has officially closed the book on one of the most controversial front-office tenures in recent.
NBA history and definitively answered the question posed by former general manager Nico Harrison last year: “Time will tell if I’m right.”Time has told, and the verdict is a resounding failure.
The Trade That Redefined a Franchise
On Tuesday, the Mavericks shipped Davis, along with D’Angelo Russell, Jaden Hardy, and Dante Exum, to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Khris Middleton, Marvin Bagley III, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, and five future draft picks.
This move served as the final, symbolic erasure of the franchise-altering decision made by Harrison at the 2025 trade deadline. Last February, Harrison shocked the basketball world by trading generational superstar.
“Time will tell if I’m right,” Harrison stated at his post-trade press conference in 2025, defending the Dončić-for-Davis swap.
Harrison justified the trade by claiming the 10-time All-Star Davis would be the “foundation” of the Mavericks for years to come, while criticizing Dončić’s conditioning and suggesting he was not a player to build a long-term winner around.
A Catastrophic Short Lived Era
Harrison’s vision collapsed almost immediately. The Davis era in Dallas lasted a mere 29 games, as the 32-year-old big man was once again plagued by the injuries that have marked his career. He is currently out for several months with a hand injury.
Anthony Davis’s Mavericks Tenure (29 Games)
- Averages: 20.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.8 blocks
- Result: A short-lived, injury-marred stint that failed to lift the Mavericks into contention.
The trade decimated the Mavericks’ standing. Dončić, flourishing in Los Angeles, led the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals in his first season. The Mavericks, meanwhile, spiraled, and public pressure mounted.
Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont, who had approved the Dončić-Davis trade, later issued a public apology to fans, acknowledging the mistake and the need to “return winning basketball to Dallas.”
The Final Reckoning and a New Start
The Davis-to-Wizards trade is the final act of accountability for Harrison’s failed gamble. By dealing Davis for a package of role players and a significant haul of draft picks, the new Mavericks front office is attempting to salvage assets from the wreckage and start a multi-year rebuild.
The move confirms that the “foundation” Harrison bet on was made of sand. The quote“Time will tell if I’m right” has now resurfaced across social media as a morbid punchline and a stark reminder.
For the Mavericks and their fans, the Davis trade represents a painful but necessary closing of a disastrous chapter.