The NBA world is chirping again as Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta joined the growing list of people who are bashing the Dallas Mavericks and GM Nico Harrison for the Luka Doncic trade to the Los Angeles Lakers. He made the comments at an event celebrating the University of Houston Men’s Basketball team for their run to the National Championship Game—a place where basketball talk is always flowing.
But instead of sticking to college hoops, Fertitta went off script and into the world of professional drama, using his platform to roast the Mavericks for one of the wildest trades in recent history.
Fertitta Takes a Jab at the Mavericks’ Trade Logic
Three months have passed since the Mavericks traded away franchise superstar Luka Doncic to the Lakers and the fallout is still making waves. Fans are still fuming with how it all went down under Nico Harrison’s leadership, especially after the team didn’t make the playoffs this season after losing in the Play-In Tournament to the Memphis Grizzlies.
During last week’s end-of-season press conference, Harrison dropped a bombshell that reignited the criticism. When asked about the fan reaction to trading Doncic, he said:
“I did know Luka was important to the fanbase but I didn’t know it to what level,” Harrison said. “But really, the way we looked at it is if we put a team on the floor that’s Kyrie [Irving], Klay [Thompson], PJ [Washington], Anthony Davis, and [Dereck] Lively, we feel that’s a championship team and we would’ve been winning at a high level and that would’ve quieted some of the outrage. Unfortunately we weren’t able to do that so it just continued to go on and on.”
This didn’t help calm down the upset Mavs fans or silence Fertitta.
Fertitta’s Comments at the White House Spark Laughter and Controversy
At the Houston Cougars basketball celebration, Fertitta told a story from his recent trip to the White House. He was in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and sports came up in the conversation.
“I was in the White House in the Oval Office with the Prime Minister of Italy and the President last Thursday and we talked about the Houston Cougars,” Fertitta said. “I can promise you, for at least a minute and a half.”
He paused for a beat before adding with a grin:
“And then we talked about that Luka Doncic trade [to the Lakers] that Dallas did.”
If you listen closely to the video you’ll hear Fertitta mispronounce Doncic’s name as “Luke Doncha”. Unintentionally funny, but it shows how everyone is still scratching their head about that trade.
People are still wondering how the Mavericks could send Doncic – one of the best young players in the NBA – to the Lakers without getting Austin Reaves back. Fertitta is one of them.
Should Fertitta Focus on His Own Team?
While poking fun at the Mavericks’ expense might be entertaining, Fertitta’s timing has raised eyebrows. The Rockets are currently locked in a heated first-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors. After dropping Game 1 at home, Houston finds itself in danger of falling behind 0-2 heading into Wednesday night’s Game 2—all while playing on their home court.
Some observers argue that Fertitta should focus more energy on rallying his own team rather than critiquing another franchise’s decisions. Still, his playful jab adds fuel to the ongoing debate surrounding the Mavericks’ controversial move.
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