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The Dallas Mavericks just can't seem to get out of their own way. Well, specifically general manager Nico Harrison, who, along with Mavericks CEO Rick Welts, held a press conference on Tuesday where select media members were invited to attend, with one caveat: no videos or recording devices allowed.

It's an unprecedented situation to hold a press conference where media members are allowed to attend, and yet not record any of the responses electronically. But given everything that's happened since the Mavericks traded Luka Dončić in February, it's par for the course. Every word that Harrison, Welts and team governor Patrick Dumont have said since trading Dončić has not gone over well with Dallas' fans. Tuesday was no different.

CBS Sports obtained a copy of the transcript from the press conference to sift through Harrison and Welts' responses. Here are the biggest takeaways from the event.

Harrison doubles down on defense of Luka trade

The overarching theme to Harrison's answers to a variety of questions about why they would trade a 26-year-old superstar who just led them to the NBA Finals a season before was the same as it was the day he traded him: "Defense wins championships."

"When you make a trade like this, you have to really look at it in its totality," Harrison said on Tuesday. "We're thorough. We looked at everything, and again, just felt that it was in the best interest of our team going forward. I keep saying this, but defense wins championships, and I think that this gives us the best opportunity to not only win, it gives us the deepest team and the most versatile team. Not only today but also going forward."

Harrison responded in a similar way when responding to the fan outrage about this trade.

"I think a lot of times, trades take a little bit of time," Harrison said. "But our philosophy, like I said, going forward, is defense wins championships, and we're built on defense, and this trade cements us for that."

He also used the same mantra when asked about the logic of making this trade when the Mavericks don't control any of their first-round draft picks from 2027 to 2030.

"I keep saying the same thing, but defense wins championships," Harrison said. "I believe that we have a championship-caliber team, not only for now, but also for the future. Obviously, the future will hold if I'm right or wrong, and ultimately we're going to be held to the standard of wins and losses, and every executive in every field is going to be held to that same standard."

We're never going to hear from Harrison that he was wrong in trading Dončić -- at least not while he's still employed by the Mavericks -- but to use that as the reason why you traded him for the often-injured Anthony Davis, who is also six years older, is insane. 

Yes, Dončić's biggest weakness is on the defensive end of the floor. He was relentlessly targeted throughout the NBA playoffs a year ago, and the Celtics completely exposed him in the NBA Finals. But to ignore everything else about Dončić's game and what makes him one of the top five greatest active NBA players right now is laughable. And to seriously think this team -- healthy or not -- is better now than it was prior to the Dončić trade is a gross underestimation of the new Lakers guard's talents.

Comparing Dončić trade to Monta Ellis, Warriors deal

Perhaps the most bewildering thing said at this secretive press event were comments from Welts, who in an effort to try and make a comparison on the situation only stoked the flames even more. Welts was asked about how the team plans to build back the trust of fans after trading away the team's most beloved, most popular player. 

The Hall of Fame executive began by explaining his experience in three different situations where teams he was involved with traded away popular plays to fan dismay. He mentioned when the Seattle SuperSonics traded Lenny Wilkins to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Butch Beard. He also mentioned when the Phoenix Suns traded Stephon Marbury for essentially cap space then turned around and signed Steve Nash, and lastly when the Golden State Warriors traded Monta Ellis for Andrew Bogut in 2012.

"At Golden State, when I got there, we had one marketable player that our fans loved," Welts said. "His name was Monta Ellis. We traded Monta Ellis to the Milwaukee Bucks for an injured Andrew Bogut, who wasn't going to play that season. Ten days later, our new owner, Joe Lacob, was booed off the court trying to retire Chris Mullin's uniform to bring him back into the fold of the Warriors. Booed off the court. The ball came out of Monta Ellis' hands, was put in this young guard named Stephen Curry. Four championships later, that worked out pretty well."

Welts continued.

"So, I would just say that this story is unfinished. We understand the pain, we're listening. We hear every day the pain that people are feeling. But I think you have to judge us from this day forward on whether or not we're going to conduct ourselves as an organization and as a basketball team in a way that that fans can embrace."

By Welts' comparison, that would mean Dončić is Ellis, and no offense to Ellis, but the two players are in completely different universes when it comes to basketball talent. It worked out for the Warriors because they had Curry. Who on this Mavericks roster is the equivalent to Curry? The only one close was the guy they traded away, and for whatever reason Dallas' front office doesn't understand that.

No regrets about trading Dončić

From an outsider's perspective, it's easy to say that the Mavericks are already regretting trading Dončić. Even more so after he returned to Dallas last week and dropped 45 points in his first game as a visitor inside American Airlines Arena. But Harrison still doesn't see it that way.

"Yeah, there's no regrets on the trade," Harrison said. "Part of my job is to do the best thing for the Mavericks, not only today, but also in the future. Some of the decisions I'm going to make are going to be unpopular. And that's my job and I have to stand by it. One last thing, I'll also add that every trade I've done has been met with high scrutiny, and so eventually, I'll earn the trust of this community back. Some of these trades are going to work out and they have at a high level."

Every trade Harrison has made since being brought in as general manager has been criticized, but then ended up working out for the Mavericks. He traded Kristaps Porzingis in February 2022, but the Mavericks then made the Western Conference finals later that season. The following year, he traded for the polarizing Kyrie Irving, who proved to be the ideal backcourt mate alongside Dončić and helped lead the Mavericks to the Finals a season ago. Even trading two first-round draft picks for PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford weren't seen as slam dunk moves, but those guys ended up being catalysts for the Finals run.

But this isn't swapping out role players, trading an oft-injured big man or taking a chance on a talented but baggage-laden star. Dončić is a bonafide superstar with a proven track record of success, especially in high-pressure situations. Trading him makes less and less sense with each passing day, even if Harrison stands by the decision.

On if the Mavericks got the best return possible

Setting aside the fact that trading Dončić alone was seen as insane, the return the Mavericks got was also heavily scrutinized, not just from fans and media members but from those with a connection to the Mavericks organization as well. Former majority team owner Mark Cuban, who sold the team to Patrick Dumont and still retains a minority stake, has criticized the deal on multiple occasions and said that the return wasn't what it should've been. So has franchise legend Dirk Nowitzki, who remains in shock that the Mavericks traded away Dončić in the first place.

"When you look at this trade, we targeted AD," Harrison said. "With our philosophy of 'defense wins championships,' we wanted a two-way player to lead our team and that was Anthony Davis. Everyone's going to have their criticism. I'm not sure what Mark [Cuban] said, but that's a better question left for him. But we got what we wanted."

It's very evident that Harrison had a singular goal in mind: get Anthony Davis, regardless of what it would cost.

On if the Mavericks feel like they have to win back fans

Perhaps the biggest fallout from this trade was the fan reaction. From the onset, the criticism was loud and often with fans showing up outside American Airlines Center carrying signs and chanting "Fire Nico," to the same chant ringing loudly inside the arena on multiple occasions, none more loud than when Dončić returned to Dallas last week. 

It's been apparent that Mavericks fans are having a difficult time coming to terms with the trade, and with their fandom with the team entirely. Though Harrison thinks that can be solved easily.

"Well, I do agree that history will decide it, but I go back to what I said in my opening statement, putting the roster on the floor with Kyrie, Klay, PJ, Anthony Davis and Lively," Harrison said. "That's a championship-caliber team. And although the fans could have been upset with trading Luka, they wouldn't have been upset with the results."

So essentially, Harrison is saying that fans are really just upset that the team isn't all that good right now. He even said as much when asked later on about if the Mavericks' front office underestimated how much Dončić meant to the fanbase.

"Yeah, I don't think there was an underestimation, but clearly, we knew afterwards his impact on the fanbase," Harrison said. "I do think that our intended roster, putting it on the floor, I felt, would have subsided a lot of the fanbase's vitriol because we would be out there winning. Obviously, with a lot of the injuries we weren't able to do that. And that kind of increased, it brought a lot of people in that may not even have had an opinion. And so that's unfortunate."

On concerns about attracting future talent after trade

The Dončić trade sent shockwaves not just within the NBA, but across the sports world. "Fire Nico" chants have been heard at a variety of events including, unexpectedly, at a Medieval Times dinner. It's been criticized heavily by just about everyone, that it's fair to wonder how much of a lasting impact this move will have on the Mavericks in a variety of ways. We've already seen how poorly its gone over with the fans, but will this impact Dallas' ability to sign players going forward? Apparently, Harrison doesn't think so.

"No, I don't. I think that's one of the reasons why I'm here," Harrison said. "But it's not just me. It's Dallas. It's one of the fifth largest Metroplex in the in the U.S. It's a great city to live in. The fanbase is amazing, part of the "Fire Nico" chants, although you'd rather the fans cheer for the team, and me not be the story, it's a great fanbase, and you need that fanbase to win. So I think that's an attraction. J-Kidd, a Hall of Fame point guard as your coach. I think all that kind of helps to attract. It's not just the Nico Harrison show, but to answer your question, no, that won't affect our ability to attract free agents."

To quote Harrison, time will tell. Players have been known to avoid certain franchises in the past for various reasons from quality of facilities, location, fanbases and a franchise's track record with their players. I can't imagine prospective free agents won't have this trade in the back of their mind when considering the Mavericks as a team to play for going forward.