[Afseth] Donnie Nelson on Luka trade “During my years in Dallas, we always considered what was important to that community, And we looked at the players being a part of that. It was never like we went to one of our ATMs, took out a player, used him until he was most useful, and then threw him away”
Donnie Nelson, the former longtime Dallas Mavericks executive who helped build the team around Dirk Nowitzki and Luka Dončić, believes the two franchise icons should have been treated the same, and weren’t.
In an exclusive interview with Ekipa 24, Nelson reflected on the organization’s legacy of loyalty with Nowitzki and expressed disappointment over how Dončić’s time in Dallas ended with a February 2025 trade to the Los Angeles Lakers.
“We were with Dirk Nowitzki for 21 years, and the last three years were out of pure respect,” Nelson told Ekipa 24. “People like that deserve to say goodbye on their own terms and according to their wishes, and everyone deserves a decent funeral – figurative or literal.”
Nelson said the Mavericks used to operate with a community-first mindset — valuing long-term relationships, loyalty, and the cultural significance of a star’s connection to the city.
“During my years in Dallas, we always considered what was important to that community,” Nelson said. “And we looked at the players being a part of that. It was never like we went to one of our ATMs, took out a player, used him until he was most useful, and then threw him away.”
While Nowitzki was celebrated with a farewell tour and ultimately had a statue erected outside American Airlines Center, Dončić — who became the face of the franchise and an international superstar under Nelson’s leadership — was traded at age 25 in the prime of his career.
“Of course, this is the NBA, and trades can happen; players come and go,” Nelson said. “But with all due respect, you have to understand that some players are different, special, and even more important to the environment and the community. It’s important to treat those players with respect.”
Nelson didn’t directly criticize the front office but clarified that Dončić’s exit didn’t reflect the values that had defined the Mavericks during his tenure.
“That’s why there was so much disappointment after what happened to Luka,” he said. “Not just my disappointment, but a universal disappointment. Could this happen to Real [Madrid]? Never. And it wouldn’t have happened when I was in Dallas.”
Nelson served as the Mavericks’ general manager and president of basketball operations during Nowitzki’s entire career and was the driving force behind the trade that brought Dončić to Dallas in 2018. He parted ways with the organization in 2021 but has publicly supported both players.
Dončić is now focused on the Lakers for the next chapter of his career. At the same time, Nelson has re-entered the international basketball world as a strategic advisor for the Slovenian national team ahead of EuroBasket 2025.
“These things — the relationships, the values — they last forever,” Nelson said.