I asked ChatGPT what it thought about Nico Harrison's trade deadline

It has been five days since the human intelligence (or lack thereof) of Nico Harrison traded Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis. This kickstarted the Mavericks’ trade deadline activity and led to Dallas trading away Quentin Grimes for Caleb Martin two days later. Other than adding a 2030 second-round pick to the Caleb Martin trade on Thursday, Dallas made no moves at the deadline itself. Dallas was rumored to have pursued Kevin Durant aggressively, however, but no trade materialized. Now that the team is final for the rest of the year, I decided to ask artificial intelligence, and specifically ChatGPT, what they thought of the moves Dallas made. Here are the results:

Question 1: Is Caleb Martin a better player than Quentin Grimes, given that he’s hurt right now and older?

This wasn’t exactly asking if ChatGPT would trade them for one another, but I figured inquiring about their assessment of each player’s skills was relevant to the context of the trade. The first paragraph I got was quick and to the point: “Right now, even with Caleb Martin dealing with injuries, he’s still the more proven and impactful player compared to Quentin Grimes. Martin has shown his value in high-stakes playoff situations, especially during Miami’s 2023 Finals run, where he played a key role on both ends of the floor. He’s a strong defender, a versatile wing who can score off the dribble, and a reliable three-point shooter when healthy. His experience and ability to rise to the occasion give him an edge.” Mr. GPT continued: “Grimes, on the other hand, has potential but hasn’t yet established himself as a consistent high-level contributor. He’s a solid three-and-D player but hasn’t expanded his offensive game much beyond spot-up shooting. His role in New York has been somewhat inconsistent, and he hasn’t had a playoff moment like Martin’s. If we’re talking about long-term potential, Grimes is younger (23 vs. Martin’s 28) and could develop into a more complete player. But as of now, if you’re picking someone for a playoff run, a healthy Martin is the better option.”

ChatGPT seems to like the move for Dallas, especially given they want him healthy for a playoff run. It was funny that the AI tool got the ages and most recent teams wrong, which is a funny quirk that is prevalent throughout this experiment and shows itself in hilarious ways. Round one goes to Nico Harrison.

Question 2: Would you gut your team for Kevin Durant?

The Mavericks will likely have to give up a lot for Durant if they want to acquire him in the summer. I looked to ChatGPT’s expert advice to see if this was a good move: “It depends on the context. If I’m a team that’s already a contender and just needs that one superstar to push us over the top, I’d strongly consider it—Durant is still one of the best scorers in NBA history. But gutting the team completely? Probably not, because depth matters, and we’ve seen that even KD needs a strong supporting cast to win. If I’m a young, up-and-coming team with a solid core, I’d be hesitant. Trading multiple young stars and picks for an aging superstar could backfire if injuries or decline set in. What team are you thinking about?”

I told it the Mavericks were the team I was referring to, and it gave a remarkable response: “For the Mavericks? Man, that’s tough. Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving already make for an elite offensive duo, but adding Kevin Durant would take the firepower to another level. The problem is depth—if you trade too many key pieces (like Dereck Lively II, Josh Green, Jaden Hardy, and multiple picks), you risk turning into a top-heavy team with no supporting cast, which we’ve seen hurt teams before (think Brooklyn’s Big 3 experiment). But if the price is reasonable (maybe a package around Tim Hardaway Jr., Grant Williams, and picks while keeping Lively and some depth), then yeah, it’s worth considering. Luka, Kyrie, and KD would be unguardable offensively.”

I agree, Durant Irving, and Doncic would be an unstoppable trio. The only problem is that Dallas no longer has Doncic and their modest trade package proposal centered around Grant Williams and Tim Hardaway Jr. expired a year ago. Even though ChatGPT needs to scrape the internet for more updated rosters, it seems like it agrees with the notion that Durant would complete a contending team if you don’t have to gut your roster. I will give half a point to Nico Harrison for this.

Question 3: Would you trade Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis?

Finally, the simplest and most important question. The one we are all dying to know the answer to. Would AI have made the trade Harrison did on Saturday night? Well, this is what ChatGPT had to say: “No, I wouldn’t trade Luka Dončić for Anthony Davis. Luka is younger (24 vs. 30), more durable, and has a much higher offensive ceiling. He’s a perennial MVP candidate, an elite playmaker, and the kind of player you build a franchise around for the next decade. AD is an elite two-way force, one of the best defenders in the league, and still a dominant presence when healthy. But that’s the issue—his availability has been a constant concern. While AD might give you better defense, Luka’s offensive impact and ability to carry a team night in and night out make him far more valuable in the long run. Unless you’re in a very specific win-now situation where you already have another elite playmaker and need defensive dominance, I wouldn’t make that trade.”

From the first word, we got our answer. Every proceeding sentence expresses the thoughts we all have had. And that is with getting their ages wrong! This round goes to AI and to all the Mavericks fans in opposition to what Harrison did. Even a computer tool pulling outdated data can formulate an opinion more sensible than the one Harrison did. Maybe AI taking our jobs wouldn’t be so bad after all.