One of the biggest trades in NBA history was followed up by one of the most awkward moments as Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison explained his side of the blockbuster Luka Doncic trade in a team press conference over the weekend.
Harrison talked about how he facilitated Doncic’s move to the Los Angeles Lakers without the knowledge of several members in the Mavericks building, including head coach Jason Kidd.
The super awkward part? Kidd was sitting right next to him as this information was being revealed to reporters.
“We kept it between us, we had to,” Harrison said. “We had to keep it tight. J-Kidd didn’t know about it. But J-Kidd and I are aligned and we talk about archetypes and we talk about the culture that we want to create. So I know the type of players that he likes without actually talking to him.
“I think when you’re aligned with your coach like that, I know the type of players that he likes,” Harrison stated again, for good measure. “So I felt good about it making sense to where we’re trying to go.”
Must be nice to be able to communicate telepathically with your head coach.
Unsurprisingly, NBA fans weren’t buying Harrison’s excuse for keeping Kidd out of the loop. Kidd himself said he was shocked by the trade but remained stoic throughout the presser as Harrison talked at length about how great their relationship was.
One comment under the YouTube video of the press conference read, “Kidd, blink twice if you’re a hostage.”
Plenty of other NBA fans were quick to point out how awkward the whole situation was while expressing concern for Kidd: