Just 11 games into the season, the Mavericks (3-8) decided to sack general manager Nico Harrison, bringing an end to his four-year Dallas tenure that included a Finals appearance last year. The firing came nine months after the Luka Doncic trade.
Nico Harrison’s whirlwind run in Dallas has come to an end.
The Mavericks announced that Harrison on Wednesday, November 12 (PH time), has been relieved of his duties as general manager, marking a major front-office shake-up for the struggling franchise.
“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,” team owner Patrick Dumont said in a press release.
Dumont elaborated the decision in an open letter to Mavericks fans, expressing disappointment over the team’s rocky start.
“No one associated with the Mavericks organization is happy with the start of what we all believed would be a promising season,” he wrote.
“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.”
Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont's letter to Dallas fans after Nico Harrison firing | Photo: @ShamsCharania
Nico's highs and lows in Dallas
The Mavericks have since appointed Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi as co-interim general managers to steady the ship.
Harrison joined the Mavericks in 2021—the same day the franchise hired Jason Kidd as head coach.
He then broke up the European duo of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, trading the latter to Washington for Davis Bertans and Spencer Dinwiddie.
That gamble paid off briefly, as Dallas reached the Western Conference Finals after stunning the top-seeded Phoenix Suns in a Game 7 blowout before losing to the eventual champions Golden State Warriors.
A year later, Harrison made another blockbuster move in acquiring former champion and multi-time All-Star guard Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets.
The Doncic-Irving tandem led Dallas back to the NBA Finals in 2024—the team’s first in 13 years—before falling to the Boston Celtics.
But Harrison's most controversial decision came just last February when he traded Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick.
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The shocking move sent ripples through the league and ignited fury among Mavericks fans, with “Fire Nico!” chants filling the American Airlines Center.
“Time will tell if I’m right,” Harrison said a day after the deal.
Nine months later, time had run out.
Following Irving’s season-ending ACL injury, the Mavericks stumbled to a play-in exit against the Memphis Grizzlies last season.
Though they landed Duke phenom Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick, the team has struggled early this season, sitting at 3-8—second to last in the Western Conference, just ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans (2-8).
Meanwhile, Davis has not played since October 29, when he left in the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers due to left lower leg soreness.
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Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.