Mavericks GM’s Shocking Move Leaves Team Without a Single Basketball—What’s His Game Plan?

Have you ever wondered what happens when the Dallas Mavericks decide to take “ball movement” a little too literally? No, really—what do you do as an NBA executive when you wake up, stare at a room bursting with round, orange ambition, and think, “Time to cash out while the basketballs are still bouncy”? I’ve seen some daring moves in sports, but not since the Great Mascot Costume Swap of 2013 have I witnessed sheer, bewildering audacity on this scale . The emotional trajectory I went on? Let’s just say I started at “puzzled chuckle” and slid right into “full-blown existential laughter.” Parting with your entire supply of basketballs, all for a bit of clever asset management and a draft pick—didn’t see that one coming! Is this the boldest play for cap space, or the NBA’s wildest inside joke? I’m still processing . Dallas, may your court be ever bounceless and your future shockingly lucrative. For the play-by-play of this bonkers, history-making deal (and a few poignant send-offs for the suddenly Brooklyn-bound basketballs), LEARN MORE.

DALLAS—In a move already being described as one of the most surprising transactions in NBA history, Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison confirmed Tuesday that he had traded all of the team’s basketballs to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for cash considerations. “Sometimes you have to make hard decisions to position your franchise for success, and we felt that parting with our entire inventory of basketballs was the right call for the future of this organization,” Harrison said at a press conference during which he repeatedly emphasized the long-term value of “creating space, ball-wise” and defended his choice to include a conditional 2027 first-round draft pick to complete the deal. “Asset flexibility in this league is more important than ever, and when we saw an opportunity to offload all of our basketballs, we couldn’t say no. We wish the basketballs all the best in Brooklyn.” At press time, many Mavericks fans were taking to social media to lament the fact that the basketballs would be spending their best bouncing years with another club.