Mavericks fire GM Nico Harrison less than a year after controversial Dončić trade

The Dallas Mavericks have fired general manager Nico Harrison, team owner Patrick Dumont announced in a statement. letter to fans on Tuesday. The move comes less than a year after Harrison’s controversial decision to trade Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers, which led to his downfall in Dallas despite being the 2024 Western Conference champions.

“No one associated with the Mavericks organization is happy with the start of what we all thought would be a promising season. You have high expectations for the Mavericks, and I share them with you. When results do not meet expectations, it is my responsibility to act,” Dumont wrote.

“Even though the majority of the 2025-2026 season remains to be played and I know our players are deeply committed to a winning culture, this decision was essential to moving our franchise forward in a positive direction.

“I understand the profound impact these last few difficult months have had. Please know that I am fully committed to the Mavericks’ success.”

Assistant general managers Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi were named interim co-general managers to oversee basketball operations, although the Mavericks said an “extensive search will begin for a permanent replacement.” Finley was part of the five-man team hired by Mark Cuban to hire a new coach and manager, a search that led to Jason Kidd and Harrison himself. Riccardi has become a more public face of the franchise since the Dončić trade.

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Rumors about possible management changes in Dallas began almost immediately after the trade. Harrison managed to avoid a shot long enough for the Mavericks to win the 2025 NBA Draft lottery, allowing them to draft Cooper Flagg No. 1 overall. However, a slow start to Flagg’s rookie season along with a miserable 3-8 record for the Mavericks overall so far this year was enough for Dallas to pull the trigger and move on from one of the most controversial executives in NBA history.

The Mavericks hired Harrison in 2021 after parting ways with Donnie Nelson, who had been general manager for nearly two decades. The decision was somewhat unorthodox given Harrison’s background. He had never worked for an NBA team before his hiring, but had been responsible for sneakers at Nike, notably with Kobe Bryant. In doing so, he formed a relationship with Bryant’s agent, Rob Pelinka, who eventually became the general manager of the Lakers. This relationship helped facilitate the Doncic trade.

Upon his hiring, Harrison quickly set about tearing down the team he inherited, trading away Kristaps Porziņģis at the 2022 trade deadline and then losing Jalen Brunson for nothing in 2022 free agency.

The changes off the field have been as radical as those on the field. In 2023, Harrison fired Casey Smith, the team’s head athletic trainer since 2004. This, according to ESPN, resulted in the departure of Scott Tomlin, the team’s vice president of basketball communications, who had been with the team for an equally long period of time. After the 2023-24 season, they fired strength coach Jeremy Holsopple and manual therapist Casey Spangler, prompting Dončić to complain before his trade that “they’re getting rid of everyone I love.”

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Despite these behind-the-scenes changes, the Mavericks ultimately bounced back on the court. The acquisition of Kyrie Irving led to a year-long stretch for Harrison, who drafted standout young center Derek Lively and traded for Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington before a surprising trip to the 2024 NBA Finals. Ultimately, however, Harrison lacked confidence in the runner-up he had built.

At the 2025 trade deadline, Harrison traded Dončić to the Lakers for a package headlined by Anthony Davis. Virtually every element of the deal has been criticized. The overwhelming consensus was that Dallas should have kept Dončić and signed him to a five-year, $345 million supermax extension over the summer. Even if a trade was necessary, the Lakers didn’t have the most to offer, and even if they did, they ultimately didn’t give up on him. While the Mavericks obtained Max Christie and a first-round pick alongside Davis, they failed to prize away budding star Austin Reaves, then-promising rookie Dalton Knecht or any draft capital beyond a first-round pick in 2029. The Lakers theoretically could have tendered their 2031 first-round pick as well as first-round trade rights in 2026, 2028 and 2030, but managed to keep all of this in the agreement.

From there, the 2024-25 season spiraled out of control. Davis was injured when the Mavericks acquired him, then reaggravated that injury upon his return. Kyrie Irving tore his ACL shortly after the trade and has yet to return to the field. With a number of other Mavericks also injured, Dallas was eliminated from the playoffs and was eliminated in the Play-In tournament by the Memphis Grizzlies.

Meanwhile, Dallas fans haven’t given an inch in their criticism of the Dončić trade, regardless of how much time has passed. Chants of “fire Nico” filled the arena at every home game. Protests took place outside the arena. Season ticket holders have canceled their plans. Things came to a head in early April, when Dončić returned to Dallas as a member of the Lakers. The Mavericks shared a tribute video for him, but the cameras caught Dončić crying as he watched. This further inflamed an already red-hot fanbase.

Harrison called a press conference less than a week later, apparently at the request of team governor Patrick Dumont, but it only made things worse. The team limited the event to certain pre-selected media members only and did not allow audio or video recordings. Harrison often defaulted to the axiom that “defense wins championships” when answering a wide variety of questions. He dismissed input from former owner Mark Cuban and team legend Dirk Nowitzki because they “weren’t constantly in the building.” He would not commit to staying in Dallas beyond the remaining three years of his contract, even though he himself traded away all of the team’s first-round picks between 2027 and 2030. The event proved to be a public relations disaster.

Dallas was only saved from what seemed like a remarkably bleak future when its 1.8% chance of winning the 2025 NBA Draft lottery hit and gave the Mavericks the No. 1 overall pick. They used that pick to select Flagg, one of the most highly regarded prospects in recent history.

Still, Flagg has struggled so far this season, largely due to the unconventional roster assembled by Harrison. Despite being a 6-9 forward, Dallas opened the season with Flagg playing point guard due to the absence of Irving and a roster filled to the brim with big defenders but lacking smaller ball handlers. As expected, Dallas’ defense showed promise, but the offense was a complete disaster. Injuries remained a problem under the revamped practice squad and disgruntled fans, although supportive of Flagg, never stopped chanting “Fire Nico.” As a result of these struggles and the negativity that has surrounded the team since the trade, the Mavericks have chosen to terminate what is perhaps the most unpopular general manager in NBA history.

Now the team begins the process of repairing its relationship with its fans. The Dončić trade could have very easily set the Mavericks back a decade, but Flagg’s presence provided a reprieve that offers at least a glimmer of hope for the future. We don’t know yet who will build the team around him, but it won’t be the man who traded Dončić.