The Nico Harrison era is over for the Dallas Mavericks. Trading away franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic last season was likely the kiss of death for the general manager, but the team had to give him time to prove he made the right decision.
With the Mavericks starting 3-8, which is the second-worst record in the Western Conference, it became obvious how big a mistake trading Doncic was. It doesn’t help that the Los Angeles Lakers and Doncic look really good this season.
The trade came so out of left field that many fans had a hard time rationalizing it. Why would any general manager be willing to take such a massive risk? There was speculation that ownership didn’t want to pay Doncic the supermax, and they forced Harrison’s hand. However, the fact that they fired him less than a year after the deal would suggest that he led the charge on this trade.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Harrison completely owns the Doncic trade.
“It was Nico Harrison. It was Nico Harrison’s decision, it was Nico Harrison’s pitch, it was Nico Harrison’s idea, to trade Luka Doncic. But, of course, any move that gets made … it is with the blessing and the sign off of ownership, as well.”
Did Harrison Deserve More Time?
As Charania noted, Harrison couldn’t have made this trade without governor Patrick Dumont signing off. It may not have been his idea, but he did approve the deal.
Harrison is likely getting a bit of a raw deal, as the Mavericks haven’t even had a chance to play at full strength. Anthony Davis has missed time this season, Cooper Flagg is still learning the NBA and Kyrie Irving might miss the whole season.
That said, these are issues that could’ve been avoided had Doncic not been traded. Everybody knows that Davis is injury-prone, and so is Irving. Doncic gave them a chance to continue to be competitive, no matter who was hurt.
There has been so much toxicity surrounding the Mavericks since the trade, and much of it has stemmed from Harrison. Unless Dallas got off to a hot start this season, it was going to be hard for Harrison to keep his job. With the terrible start, it was just a matter of time before he was let go.
Dumont Explains Decision
Dumont and Harrison had a very close relationship prior to the Doncic trade, but the Mavericks clearly aren’t headed in the right direction. Dumont sent a letter to the fans and explained why Harrison had to be let go.
“No one associated with the Mavericks organization is happy with the start of what we all believed would be a promising season,” Dumont said in a letter to fans. “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.”
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