Nico Harrison’s tenure with the Dallas Mavericks has come to an end, and an eye-opening video captured the former general manager leaving the team’s facility for the last time. After more than four years with the organization, the Mavericks are heading in a different direction, to the delight of many fans.
This move could be a sign of things to come for this roster’s veteran personnel on a team that was presumably trying to win now.
Dallas Mavericks Fired Nico Harrison After a Slow Start to the 2025 Season
The Mavericks have had a disastrous start to the 2025-26 season. The team entered the year with high expectations, considering the returning talent on the roster as well as the addition of No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg.
Unfortunately, the Mavericks’ two feature stars, Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, have barely seen the floor together, and now this team sits at 3-8, which is second-last in the Western Conference. Harrison has been the GM since 2021, and his tenure hasn’t been all bad.
In fact, midseason trades for Irving, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford were all major parts of the Mavericks’ Finals run during the 2024 playoffs. However, this front office has overseen two disastrous moves that have placed this franchise squarely in an identity crisis.
The first was letting Jalen Brunson sign with the New York Knicks in free agency. While the future All-NBA point guard was still a work in progress in his role alongside Luka Dončić, Brunson had improved every year he was in the league and was a critical part of the Mavericks’ 2022 Western Conference Finals run.
The trade for Irving eventually gave Dončić another great sidekick to partner with, but the Mavericks had to give up key players and draft equity in this trade, which they would’ve kept if they had just re-signed Brunson. Nevertheless, letting the Knicks’ star walk still pales compared to perhaps the worst trade in NBA history.
The Dončić trade was universally panned at the time it took place, and it’s only getting worse with age. Davis has played in 14 games for his new team since the deal in February. Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick are not going to make up the difference.
The way that deal looks at this point, as well as the fan backlash, is why Harrison was seen leaving the Mavericks’ team facility for the last time.
Nico Harrison departs the @dallasmavs facility after being fired on Tuesday morning. pic.twitter.com/17HZpvxLaQ
— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) November 11, 2025
Mavericks Have Some Significant Decisions To Make Over the Next Few Months
For the time being, Matt Finley and Matt Riccardi have been appointed as co-interim general managers to lead basketball operations. Harrison said shortly after the Dončić trade that the franchise has a three-to-four-year championship window, but that claim sounds a bit ridiculous at the moment.
The question is, when Irving returns from a torn ACL in early 2026, will he be joining a roster mostly intact or a franchise that’s rebuilding? The Mavericks can certainly pivot to starting over now that they have Flagg to build around.
