Nico Harrison decided early on that the strategy he would use in the Dallas Mavericks' trade of Luka Doncic would be to identify the deal he wanted and focus on that rather than opening up the process, sources tell ESPN. Harrison's logic was that it would avoid a situation where Doncic and his agent, Bill Duffy, would be able to exert their own leverage while also avoiding a potential backlash from fans.
Harrison identified Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers as his target, which also meant he could negotiate with Rob Pelinka. Harrison and Pelinka have a relationship that dates back to 2003. Both were young executives who had earned the trust of Kobe Bryant. Bryant had left his longtime agent Arn Tellem in March 2002 and convinced Pelinka, then a junior executive at Tellem's company SFX, to leave with him. Harrison was a junior executive with Nike tasked with recruiting Bryant.
Pelinka and Harrison travelled the world together with Bryant on official Nike business and joint family vacations. They were members of Bryant's inner circle, and they leaned on each other when Bryant died in a helicopter crash in 2020.