Luka Doncic’s trade to the Lakers sent shockwaves through the Dallas Mavericks organization, a fallout so severe it cost a GM his job and put a team legend in the hot seat. Now, Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi took over as co-interim general managers. Well, many believe that Finley had a big say in the Doncic trade to the LA Lakers last season. However, he doesn’t agree.

With the season winding down in Dallas, and their hunt for the next GM continues, Finley’s aim is clear: to become the general manager. He told the media, “I think I am Dallas. I’m everything Dallas is about. I played here, through the good times and the bad times, and as a fan of the Mavericks, I know what it takes, and I know what the fans are looking for. So I would love to have the chance to lead this franchise into the future and to ultimately championship-contenders.”

However, a fan in the comments section aimed at Finley, claiming he was “complicit” in the trade of Doncic. And fans would call for his firing just as strongly as they did for Harrison. Finley didn’t let it slide, firing back instantly on X: “I respect your opinion. But get your facts right. But I love the energy.”

According to Mavericks beat reporter Noah Webber, prior intel indicates that Michael Finley wasn’t part of the trade discussions. Despite that, he’s still emerging as a leading candidate for the role. Meanwhile, the 53-year-old interim GM has tried to make some moves to better set the team up for next season, precisely to cover up the void left behind by trading Luka Doncic.

The Dallas Mavericks are now shaping their future around Cooper Flagg, the number one pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. While he has not reached Doncic’s level yet, his upside excites. The 18-year-old is averaging 20.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg, and 4.5 apg in his rookie season.

Meanwhile, patience defines the Mavs’ plan, as Kyrie Irving recovers from a torn ACL. The team held him out to improve draft odds, and consequently, a healthier squad next season could spark a real playoff push.

However, the Mavericks Nation has yet to move on from a particular moment between Luka and Finley. He took away the beer can from the Slovenian superstar’s hands after advancing to the 2024 NBA Finals.

Michael Finley took away Luka Doncic’s beer

Many Dallas Mavericks fans have circled back to Michael Finley in discussions of the Luka Doncic trade, largely because of a resurfaced 2024 moment. After the conference finals win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Doncic stood outside the locker room with his father, holding a beer, when Finley casually took it from his hand. At that time, confusion flickered across Doncic’s face, yet the clip passed without major backlash.

However, context changed everything. When Dallas reached the 2024 NBA Finals, and Doncic secured Western Conference Finals MVP, that same clip gained traction again. Reports later tied his exit to conditioning concerns, and consequently, fans reinterpreted the moment as symbolic. What once seemed harmless now fuels the belief that Finley quietly supported moving on.

Now, Finley addressed the matter and said, “I leave the court. I see number 77 standing over there having a beer, and I say, ‘Congratulations, young fella, you definitely deserve that beer.’ And he’s like, ‘Thanks, man, thanks.’ I leave him. I go in the locker room, I celebrate with the rest of the team.” He added, “We’re having a great time. Champagne is being popped. Pictures are being taken, and we’re having a jolly old time.”

Then Finley recalled seeing the social media team hesitate because Luka Doncic was holding a beer with his father. He urged them to take the photo anyway, trusting their judgment despite their concern. “I said, ‘Well, go take the beer from him.’ They said, ‘What? We can’t do that. I said, ‘OK, I’ll do it.’ So when you watch the video, I go take the beer, I hug Luka again, and that’s why Luka looked like, ‘Man, what are you doing? We just talked about this, and you said it was cool.'”

Consequently, Mark Cuban came forward to clear the air. He went on The Arena with Gilbert Arenas and basically said Finley was just looking out for Luka. Cameras were everywhere, interviews were about to start, and nobody wanted footage of Luka mid-celebration with a beer in hand.

Cuban put it plainly — “If he didn’t do it, I would have done it.” He even said he was standing right there the whole time, and if Finley had done something wrong, he would’ve handed Luka another one on the spot.

That was it. No drama, no message being sent. Just someone in Luka’s corner trying to keep his image clean in the moment.

Well, it’s hard to say whether the beer incident laid the foundation for Luka’s trade. But if we were to believe Nico Harrison’s words, then injuries and conditioning also played a big role in the decision.