Charles Barkley has had enough of the Dallas Mavericks’ front office circus.
After GM Nico Harrison held a postseason press conference trying to explain away the Luka Dončić trade, Barkley took to Inside the NBA with a message that was part roast, part intervention.
In the presser, Harrison made the bold—and frankly bizarre—claim that he didn’t realize just how important Dončić was to Mavs fans. He then tried to spin the blockbuster swap, saying that Anthony Davis, when combined with Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson, was a comparable package to Luka.
That didn’t sit well with Barkley, who didn’t mince words.
“Nico Harrison, I consider you a friend,” Barkley said. “But man, stop doing press conferences. I don’t know what you’re doing. I’ve got sympathy and love for you, but I have zero idea what your plan is. This war is over, brother. You’re taking the L. Don’t do any more interviews.”
Charles Barkley to Nico Harrison:
“Don’t do any more press conferences… I don’t even know what you’re doing… This war is over, brother. You taking the L”
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) April 21, 2025
It was vintage Chuck—funny, sharp, but ultimately grounded in truth.
Charles Barkley’s trigger point hit hard by Nico Harrison
Charles Barkley’s frustration isn’t just about one press conference, though. It’s about the decision itself, which now looks worse with each passing day. Dončić was meant to be the franchise player for the next decade. He’d already taken Dallas to the Finals and connected with fans in a way few athletes do.
Instead, the Mavericks bet the house on an aging, injury-prone Davis, whose inconsistency is well documented. Add in Kyrie’s health issues and Klay’s decline, and the so-called “big three” has barely made it out of the play-in round—if at all.
The moment that really broke the internet, though, wasn’t from the press conference. It came earlier, on the court.
With the Mavs’ season on the line against the Memphis Grizzlies, Anthony Davis bricked a wide-open three… then limped off the floor holding his leg. It was a gut punch to Mavs fans, and to anyone still holding out hope that the trade could somehow be salvaged.
And as Davis hobbled off, cameras found Nico Harrison.
the cameraman is WILD for immediately cutting to nico after AD hobbled to the bench 😭 pic.twitter.com/kCYmyDW43y
— Molly Morrison (@mollyhannahm) April 19, 2025
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
