The Dallas Mavericks fired general manager Nico Harrison on Tuesday, nine months after his trade of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers sent the organization into a tailspin.
Team owner Patrick Dumont announced the dismissal of Harrison, who also was Dallas’ president of basketball operations. The Mavericks have limped out of the blocks to a 3-8 record.
“This decision reflects our continued commitment to building a championship-caliber organization, one that delivers for our players, our partners, and most importantly, our fans,” Dumont said.
In an open letter to fans, Dumont acknowledged “the profound impact these difficult last several months have had.”
The team appointed Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi as co-interim general managers to oversee basketball operations. A search will begin for a permanent replacement.
Riccardi is the team’s assistant general manager. Finley, a 15-year NBA player, joined the Mavericks’ front office in 2017 and has held a variety of roles.
Harrison, a former Nike executive, was hired on June 28, 2021, and the Mavericks reached the Western Conference finals in his first season. In the 2023-24 season, the Mavericks lost to the Boston Celtics in five games in the NBA Finals.
But just seven months later, Harrison sent five-time first-team All-NBA selection Doncic west in a blockbuster trade amid fans’ furor and frenzy.
Harrison’s dismissal came one day after Dumont was seen talking to a fan who was wearing a gold Lakers’ version of Doncic’s No. 77 jersey during the second half of Monday’s 116-114 home loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
“Fire Nico!” chants were audible during the fourth quarter of the game, in which Dallas squandered a 13-point lead.
The tone of the Mavericks’ fan base toward Harrison has changed since he signed a multi-year contract extension in June 2024.
Harrison, 52, accepted responsibility for the trade and defended it by claiming there were concerns over Doncic’s physique and commitment to conditioning.
Doncic played his final game with the Mavericks on Christmas Day 2024, and he strained his left calf in the loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Mavericks were 19-10 entering that game, and 26-23 on Feb. 1, 2025, when Doncic was traded. Without him on the roster, the Mavericks finished 13-20 and failed to make the playoffs.
Anthony Davis, the 10-time All-Star big man who was the key cog in return from the Lakers, was sidelined for six weeks after sustaining an adductor strain in his Dallas debut.
Davis, 32, currently is out with a calf strain while top overall 2025 draft pick Cooper Flagg, 18, is adjusting to life in the NBA.
In the loss to the Bucks, Flagg scored a career-high 26 points and pulled down a game-high nine rebounds.
–Field Level Media
