The Dallas Mavericks are in freefall, and the pressure on general manager Nico Harrison is reaching a breaking point. After a 3-7 start, the team sits near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, and according to multiple insiders, his days could be numbered, per Bleacher Report.
During Monday’s episode of The Hoop Collective, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon didn’t hold back when assessing Harrison’s future. “There’s a whole lot of things that ain’t good with the Mavericks,” MacMahon said. “At this point, I believe it is a matter of when, not if, Nico Harrison will be fired. There is a very, very strong likelihood that it will be midseason.”
That prediction carries weight given the team’s disappointing results and the growing tension inside the organization. Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News added that team governor Patrick Dumont faces a critical timing issue. “If Dumont determines a change is inevitable, someone else should be making roster decisions ASAP,” Townsend wrote, underscoring how urgent the decision has become.
The Mavs’ season has been derailed by a mix of poor health and failed experiments. Rookie sensation Cooper Flagg, once seen as a franchise-changing pick, has struggled to find consistency, while newly acquired veterans have failed to meet expectations. Anthony Davis has missed time with a calf injury, Kyrie Irving continues recovering from a torn ACL, and Klay Thompson’s early slump forced head coach Jason Kidd to move him to the bench.
Inside the Growing Pressure from Ownership and Fans
Veteran reporter Marc Stein revealed in The Stein Line that frustration within the organization has hit new levels, Yahoo reports. “The rising and virtually ceaseless negativity that surrounds the franchise is indeed wearing on and troubling ownership,” Stein wrote, adding that Dumont’s patience is being tested as the Mavs’ direction grows more uncertain.
While Dumont reportedly prefers to give Harrison more time, sources told Stein that the idea of an in-season change has become unavoidable. The reasoning extends beyond immediate performance. If the Mavericks are indeed entering a new era after the Luka Dončić trade, Dumont may not want the executive responsible for that controversial deal steering the rebuild. “If Harrison’s position as the team’s lead decision-maker is not yet untenable, well, you can certainly see that status from here,” Stein added.
Other Harrison Hiccups
Harrison’s off-season gamble on Klay Thompson also looms large. The 35-year-old guard’s three-year, $50 million deal has backfired, as Thompson’s 31.6% shooting and declining mobility have turned him into a liability rather than the veteran stabilizer Dallas hoped for. Those decisions, paired with the front office’s failure to surround its stars with reliable role players, have left the Mavericks without an identity or direction.
Dallas managed to snap a four-game losing streak by beating the 1-9 Washington Wizards on Saturday, but the win did little to calm speculation. MacMahon summed up the mood best: “Maybe they can get things turned around. Maybe his seat can go from sizzling to a more normal temperature. But every time I think they’ve hit rock bottom, they find a way to drill deeper.”
With ownership weighing its options and the noise growing louder, the Mavericks’ front office could soon face its biggest shakeup in years — and for Nico Harrison, the clock may already be ticking.
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