“Of course, this is the NBA, and trades can happen; players come and go. But with all due respect, you have to understand that some players are different, special, and even more important to the environment and the community. It’s important to treat those players with respect,” Nelson said. “That’s why there was so much disappointment after what happened to Luka. Not just my disappointment, but a universal disappointment. Could this happen to Real Madrid? Never. And it wouldn’t have happened when I was in Dallas,” Slovenia’s new special advisor added. “During my years in Dallas, we always considered what was important to that community. And we looked at the players being a part of that. It was never like we went to one of our ATMs, took out a player, used him until he was most useful, and then threw him away,” Nelson said. -via EuroHoops.net / July 5, 2025