Printed: November 14, 2025
The Dallas Mavericks went to the NBA Finals in 2023-24, and now they’re firing GM Nico Harrison. After that, issues went horribly flawed regardless of getting a present within the primary general choose, and consequently, the crew is unsurprisingly shifting on from Harrison. Many referred to as for this after the Mavericks missed the playoffs final season, and now it’s about to grow to be a actuality.
Dallas Mavericks anticipated to fireside embattled GM Nico Harrison
Within the historical past of sports activities, there has perhaps by no means been a extra surprising commerce than the Los Angeles Lakers dealing Anthony Davis and a first-round choose for Luka Doncic. It occurred in a single day out of the blue, prompting many to ask whether or not the reporter, Shams Charania, had been hacked. It felt inconceivable, however it was true.
Doncic, an All-NBA participant and one who’d dragged his crew to the Finals simply the season prior, was out of Dallas in a shocking transfer. Followers had been heartbroken, and the crew was left in shambles. Issues spiraled from there, and never even getting Cooper Flagg has saved them.
Doncic is among the 4 finest basketball gamers on this planet (alongside Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Giannis Antetokounmpo) at worst, and his being traded in any respect was a shock.
Mix that with the truth that all it primarily took was an getting old star in Davis and a future first-round choose, and it turns into traditionally surprising. The Lakers received a top-four NBA participant for a 2029 first-rounder and a 32-year-old participant with an harm historical past. Additionally they received Max Christie, however that’s not an impactful addition. The Lakers fleeced the Mavericks.
And so as to add to that, shifting on from Doncic can be one factor, however that’s not all. Doncic was not in the most effective bodily form, and the Mavericks didn’t like that. They didn’t imagine it could be financially viable to signal him to a supermax down the street, which can be a considerably truthful if misguided sentiment.
But when that’s the case, then they need to’ve shopped him round. Doncic’s commerce was stored secret between Nico Harrison and Rob Pelinka, and if the Mavericks had bothered making an attempt to commerce Doncic publicly, they might’ve gotten a greater supply again. Groups would’ve mounted an unprecedented bidding struggle, and the Mavericks may’ve been actually arrange for the long run.
As an alternative, Harrison pitched this as a win-now transfer. He wished Davis to shore up the protection that was so porous with Doncic in it. “Protection wins championships,” he stated. However then Davis received harm, and with a large utilization charge within the absence of Doncic and Davis, Kyrie Irving tore his ACL. It was a catastrophe, and the Mavericks missed the playoffs.
Harrison would possibly’ve been saved by the draft lottery, which unfairly gave Dallas the primary general choose. Regardless of narrowly lacking the playoffs, they received to choose Cooper Flagg, a generational, franchise-altering prospect. However to date, Flagg has been tough at occasions, Davis has been injured, and the Mavericks are unhealthy. It doesn’t appear like this example could be circled rapidly, so Harrison goes to lose his job.
Followers chanted “Fireplace Nico” at house video games the GM attended, so that is seemingly a welcome flip of occasions for the fan base that adored Doncic so. It’s simply troublesome to see what the reply is apart from a prolonged rebuild centering on Flagg. That Finals run was not that way back, however it’s beginning to really feel like one other lifetime. Doncic is now the face of the Lakers, somebody who will lead them for the foreseeable future into the post-LeBron James period, and it’s all as a result of Harrison and the possession in Dallas apparently didn’t like Doncic as a lot as nearly some other NBA crew would have.
