Anshari Taslim
The Dallas Mavericks have officially dismissed general manager Nico Harrison, owner Patrick Dumont confirmed in a letter addressed to fans on Tuesday. The decision, which marks a significant shift in the franchise’s leadership, comes less than a year after Harrison orchestrated the controversial trade of superstar Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite the Mavericks’ surprising run to the 2024 Western Conference Finals under Harrison’s tenure, the subsequent Dončić trade and the team’s dismal 3-8 start to the current 2025-26 season ultimately precipitated his downfall.
"No one associated with the Mavericks organization is happy with the start of what we all believed would be a promising season," Dumont wrote in his public statement. "You have high expectations for the Mavericks, and I share them with you. When the results don’t meet expectations, it’s my responsibility to act. Though the majority of the 2025-26 season remains to be played, and I know our players are deeply committed to a winning culture, this decision was critical to moving our franchise forward in a positive direction. I understand the profound impact these difficult last several months have had. Please know that I’m fully committed to the success of the Mavericks."
In the immediate aftermath of Harrison’s firing, assistant general managers Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi have been appointed as co-interim general managers, tasked with overseeing all basketball operations. Finley, a former Mavericks player and a key part of the five-person committee assembled by then-owner Mark Cuban that initially hired Harrison in 2021, brings a long history with the organization. Riccardi has gained increased public visibility within the franchise, particularly since the Dončić trade. The Mavericks confirmed that a "comprehensive search will begin for a permanent replacement" to guide the team’s future direction.
Rumors surrounding potential management changes within the Dallas front office had been circulating almost continuously since the Dončić trade at the 2025 NBA trade deadline. The move, which sent the perennial All-NBA guard to the Lakers, was met with widespread criticism from fans, media, and analysts alike. Dončić, consistently an MVP candidate and arguably the most impactful player in franchise history since Dirk Nowitzki, had been the cornerstone of the Mavericks’ offense. The prevailing sentiment was that Dallas should have prioritized retaining Dončić and signing him to a five-year, $345 million supermax extension during the upcoming summer.
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The trade package acquired from the Lakers was also heavily scrutinized. Dallas received Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a protected 2029 first-round draft pick. However, many believed the Mavericks failed to extract maximum value for a player of Dončić’s caliber. Observers pointed to the Lakers’ ability to retain promising young assets like Austin Reaves and then-rookie Dalton Knecht, as well as additional draft capital such as a 2031 first-round pick and swap rights in 2026, 2028, and 2030, as significant oversights in the negotiation. The consensus among league executives was that other teams could have offered a more substantial return for a player of Dončić’s elite status and age (he was just 25 at the time of the trade).
The 2024-25 season, immediately following the trade, spiraled into disarray for the Mavericks. Anthony Davis arrived in Dallas nursing an injury and subsequently aggravated it upon his return to the court. Star guard Kyrie Irving suffered a torn ACL shortly after the trade and has not yet made his return to play. Compounded by a rash of other significant injuries across the roster, the Mavericks’ performance plummeted. They ultimately failed to qualify for the playoffs, losing to the Memphis Grizzlies in the Play-In Tournament, a stark contrast to their 2024 Western Conference Finals appearance just months prior.
Fan discontent reached unprecedented levels in Dallas. Chants of "Fire Nico" became a regular fixture at home games, often reaching deafening volumes. Protests were organized outside the American Airlines Center, and a significant number of season-ticket holders reportedly canceled their plans in a show of disapproval. The raw emotion surrounding Dončić’s departure culminated in early April when he returned to Dallas as a Laker. A tribute video played by the Mavericks organization visibly moved Dončić to tears, a moment captured by broadcast cameras that further inflamed an already scorching fanbase, fueling sentiment that the team had alienated its most beloved player.
Harrison’s attempts to quell the public outcry only exacerbated the situation. He held a press event less than a week after Dončić’s return, reportedly at the behest of owner Patrick Dumont, but the event proved to be a public relations disaster. Access was severely limited to only pre-selected media members, and no audio or video recordings were permitted. During the event, Harrison repeatedly defaulted to the axiom that "defense wins championships" in response to a wide array of questions, often sidestepping specifics. He controversially dismissed the input of former owner Mark Cuban and team legend Dirk Nowitzki, stating they "weren’t in the building at a constant basis," a comment that drew further ire from the fanbase. Additionally, Harrison conspicuously refused to commit to remaining in Dallas beyond the three years remaining on his contract, despite having traded away all of the team’s first-round draft picks between 2027 and 2030, raising concerns about his long-term vision.
A glimmer of hope for the franchise emerged from an unlikely source. Despite holding a mere 1.8% chance, the Dallas Mavericks defied the odds and won the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, securing the No. 1 overall pick. This stroke of fortune allowed them to select Cooper Flagg, one of the most highly touted prospects in recent basketball history, a player widely considered a generational talent. The acquisition of Flagg provided a much-needed narrative reset and a tangible asset around which to build.
However, Flagg’s rookie season has encountered early struggles, partially attributed to the unconventional roster construction overseen by Harrison. With Kyrie Irving still sidelined due to injury, Dallas began the 2025-26 season with Flagg, a 6-foot-9 forward, playing out of position at point guard. The roster, heavily populated with big defenders but conspicuously lacking in smaller, natural ball-handlers, contributed to an imbalanced offensive scheme. While the team’s defense showed flashes of promise, the offense has been an unmitigated disaster, ranking among the league’s worst through the initial 11 games. Furthermore, injuries have continued to plague the team, even under a revamped training staff, leading to renewed questions about player health management. Through it all, the "Fire Nico" chants persisted, serving as a constant reminder of the deep-seated fan dissatisfaction. With a 3-8 record to start the season, the cumulative weight of these struggles and the pervasive negativity ultimately forced the Mavericks’ hand.
Nico Harrison’s tenure in Dallas began in 2021 when he was hired to replace Donnie Nelson, who had served as general manager for nearly two decades. Harrison’s background was considered unorthodox for an NBA general manager; he had no prior experience working for an NBA team, having spent years as a prominent sneaker executive at Nike, where he notably worked closely with Kobe Bryant. This role fostered a relationship with Bryant’s agent, Rob Pelinka, who later became the general manager for the Los Angeles Lakers—a connection that would prove instrumental in facilitating the contentious Dončić trade years later.
Upon his hiring, Harrison quickly initiated a significant overhaul of the team he inherited. In 2022, he traded Kristaps Porziņģis at the deadline, and later that year, the Mavericks lost starting point guard Jalen Brunson in free agency without receiving any compensation, a move widely criticized for its impact on the team’s backcourt depth. Beyond on-court personnel, Harrison also implemented sweeping changes behind the scenes. In 2023, he fired Casey Smith, the team’s highly respected head athletic trainer since 2004. This decision, according to reports from ESPN, prompted the departure of Scott Tomlin, the team’s vice president of basketball communications, who had also been with the organization for a similar duration. Following the 2023-24 season, strength coach Jeremy Holsopple and manual therapist Casey Spangler were also dismissed, moves that reportedly led Dončić to express frustration, stating that "they get rid of everybody I like" shortly before his trade.
Despite these internal and external controversies, Harrison did experience a period of success. The acquisition of Kyrie Irving, combined with astute draft selections like Dereck Lively and timely trades for Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington, fueled a remarkable run that saw the Mavericks reach the 2024 NBA Finals. This surprising journey highlighted Harrison’s ability to construct a competitive roster. However, it was his subsequent decision at the 2025 trade deadline—trading away the very superstar who had led them to that success—that indicated a fundamental lack of faith in the finalist team he had assembled, ultimately setting the stage for his departure.
The Mavericks now embark on the arduous process of mending their fractured relationship with a disillusioned fanbase and charting a new course for the franchise. The Dončić trade had the potential to set the organization back a decade, but the fortuitous arrival of Cooper Flagg offers a crucial reprieve and a genuine glimmer of hope for a brighter future. The challenge for the next general manager will be to build a cohesive, winning team around Flagg, a task that will not be overseen by the man who traded away the previous cornerstone of the franchise.
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