Christian Clark

Dallas

NBA Reporter at The Athletic

NBA reporter @TheAthletic. Texan. Email: [email protected]

Articles

Mavericks mailbag

3 days ago | nytimes.com | Christian Clark

Kyrie Irving understood the odds. At last month's NBA Draft Lottery, the Dallas Mavericks had the 11th-best chance of walking away with the No. 1 pick. Improbably, the ping-pong balls bounced the Mavericks' way, and they leaped 10 spots to win the top selection. The next morning, Irving sent out a brief message to his 4.7 million followers on X.
Got Mavericks questions? Submit to Christian Clark for the upcoming mailbag

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Christian Clark

The NBA Draft Lottery on May 12 yielded a pleasant surprise for a beaten-down Dallas Mavericks fan base. Dallas leaped up the board and claimed the No. 1 pick, something that had only 1.8 percent odds. That puts the Mavericks in a position to draft Cooper Flagg with the first selection in June's draft. All signs point toward the 18-year-old Flagg teaming up with 32-year-old Anthony Davis and 33-year-old Kyrie Irving in Dallas next season.
Mavericks' lottery miracle gives beaten-down fan base reason to be hopeful again

3 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Christian Clark

When Nico Harrison traded Luka Dončić in February, he sliced his team's competitive window down two or three years. The Dallas Mavericks already didn't control their first-round picks from 2027 to 2030 before Harrison swapped a then 25-year-old Dončić for Anthony Davis, a player six years Dončić's senior.
How Jason Kidd became part of Everton's ownership

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Patrick Boyland |Christian Clark

"An incredible resource for the club."Those were the words of Everton's executive-chair Marc Watts last week after Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd was added to the Premier League club's ownership group. In doing so, Kidd, an NBA great, became the latest American sporting star to invest in English soccer, following in the footsteps of NFL duo Tom Brady (Birmingham City) and JJ Watt (Burnley). But why has Kidd, 52, chosen to get involved with Everton?
Breaking down 5 Nico Harrison quotes that Mavericks fans won't forget

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Christian Clark

In his first two playoff games with the Los Angeles Lakers, Luka Dončić has averaged 34 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. The 26-year-old was an assist shy of a triple-double in the Lakers' Game 2 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Dallas Mavericks are now watching their former face of the franchise attempt to lead the Lakers on a deep playoff run.
Mavericks GM Nico Harrison admits he underestimated ties between Luka Dončić, Dallas fans

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Christian Clark

Nico Harrison said Monday that he underestimated the connection between the Dallas Mavericks fan base and Luka Dončić, whom Harrison traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in February for a package centered around Anthony Davis. "I did know that Luka was important to the fan base," Harrison, the Mavericks general manager, said. "I didn't quite know to what level."Harrison's shocking decision on Feb.
Nico Harrison once said the Mavericks were a Klay away. Then he traded their best player

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Christian Clark

DALLAS - Nine months ago, Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison said all that separated his team from winning an NBA championship was adding more shooting around his stars. "It was a no-brainer for us, especially after the finals," Harrison said last July about acquiring Klay Thompson in a sign-and-trade. "We were a Klay Thompson away, we felt."As recently as late December, being a Klay away didn't seem far-fetched.
'My heart was broken honestly'

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Christian Clark

Luka Dončić had a strong reaction when he found out the Dallas Mavericks were trading him to the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 1. Upon learning of the shocking move a little before midnight, Dončić threw his iPhone, which resulted in a spiderweb of cracks along the back of the device. The 26-year-old star said in a sit-down interview with ESPN's Malika Andrews that he can still make calls and send texts on the device.
Latest from Heat vs. Bulls and Mavs vs. Kings

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Christian Clark
Nico Harrison has 'no regrets' on Luka Dončić trade, says 'defense wins championships'

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Christian Clark

Nico Harrison has "no regrets" about his decision to trade Luka Dončić. On Tuesday, the Dallas Mavericks general manager defended his February decision to send Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick, only eight months after Dončić led the Mavericks to an NBA Finals run. "When you look at this trade, we targeted A.D. with our philosophy of defense wins championships," Harrison said.