Was it all about the money? Dallas reportedly was ‘never’ going to offer Doncic supermax contract

It’s always about the money.

“The Trade” was the topic throughout All-Star weekend in San Francisco, with everyone still reeling from Luka Doncic being traded to the Lakers for Anthony Davis (and Max Christie and a pick).

“What I remember from it, what strikes me, is how the Mavs fans are hurting, how they feel,” Victor Wembanyama said.

“In terms of anger with the fan base, I’m empathetic. I understand it,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Saturday before adding he also felt empathy for the Mavericks’ front office and ownership.

There were a lot of media and front office executives in the Bay Area still shaking their heads at the fact Dallas would trade a top-five player in the world at age 25. Almost more shocking was the Mavericks not at least opening the bidding up and getting a much better deal, while also preparing the fan base for what was to come rather than a shock so out of left field that everyone thought Shams Charania was hacked.

Which brings us back to the opening sentence of this story — in the NBA, it’s always about the money. This summer, Doncic would have been eligible for the largest contract in NBA history, a five-year, $346 million supermax extension. Doncic has suggested since the trade that he would have signed it.

Dallas was never going to pay that contract, reports Christian Clark, Mike Vorkunov and Fred Katz at The Athletic in a deep dive into Mavericks GM Nico Harrison.

But there was one twist: The Mavericks were never going to offer Doncic that mega-deal, league sources said…

The morning after dealing Doncic, Harrison addressed his team in Cleveland, sources with knowledge of the meeting told The Athletic. Harrison told the bleary-eyed group that the team’s goal remained the same: Win a championship. Privately and publicly, Harrison has said he moved Dončić for Davis because he felt it gave Dallas the best chance at raising the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Harrison believes that Davis is a better cultural fit for what the Mavericks want to build.

While that next contract for Doncic would be astronomical, it’s also the new going rate for a true franchise cornerstone, a player you can build a champion around (Doncic led Dallas to the NBA Finals a season ago). As the money from the $76 billion new broadcast rights deal starts to flow through the NBA next season, the salary cap will climb fast and, with that, the money elite players will make becomes mind-boggling. It’s also the price of doing business — the NBA is an entertainment product and if a franchise wants to grow its fan base and make more money that way, it has to have players fans will pay to see. Players such as Doncic.

Dallas balked at paying the going rate, especially for a guy Harrison just didn’t get. Harrison can argue that trade will be better for the Mavericks on the court — I wouldn’t make that argument, especially looking a few years into the future — but if you make a trade that alienates a third or more of your fan base, is that good business?