The Dallas Mavericks fired president and general manager Nico Harrison just months after the controversial Luka Dončić trade.
Harrison was named to his position in 2021, succeeding Donnie Nelson. But, Harrison’s not letting this define his mood.
How is Nico Harrison?
NBA TV’s Chris Haynes reports that Harrison is doing fine after his dismissal.
“He’s in good spirits, man,” Haynes said. He’s going to take some time to be with himself and his family and just get away from everything. It’s been a tough situation.”
Nico Harrison is in “good spirits” after getting fired by the Dallas Mavericks, per @ChrisBHaynes
“He’s going to take some time to be with himself and his family and just get away from everything. It’s been a tough situation.”
(h/t @amathur25) pic.twitter.com/U3CADwhoXF
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) November 13, 2025
Although Harrison will be forever haunted by the Dončić trade, he did some good things in Dallas, including helping build the team that reached the 2024 NBA Finals.
The Mavericks lost to the Boston Celtics in five games in the Finals.
“I think when you look at his tenure with the Dallas Mavericks, you had some good times, definitely had some bad times,” Haynes explained.
“He guided the team to the NBA Finals, and they have visions of getting further than that but ultimately his tenure is going to be defined by the Luka Doncic trade and what he got in return and other people will say well, what he didn’t get in return. So, it was a tough situation, but something we saw coming definitely over this past week or so.”
Why Did the Mavs Fired Harrison?
The Mavericks fired Harrison mostly because of the surprising trade that sent Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers. The three-team deal with the Utah Jazz took place in February 2025. The Mavericks received Anthony Davis in return, a future Hall-of-Fame big man, but Dončić is just 26 and Davis turns 33 in March, raising questions about the long-term benefits for Dallas.
Since the Dončić trade, the Mavericks have struggled with a 16-28 record, while the Lakers improved to 26-14. The Lakers now rank fifth in the Western Conference at 8-4, whereas the Mavericks are 3-9. Only the Pelicans, at 2-9, have performed worse in the West, highlighting the immediate negative impact of the trade on Dallas.
Harrison also reportedly wanted Davis to return from injury before the Mavericks medical staff cleared him. Harrison quickly became unpopular with Mavericks fans, who called for his firing and chanted “Fire Nico” at games. These chants reportedly made players dislike home games.
Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont penned his own letter to Dallas fans to explain the decision.
Dumont wrote, “No one associated with the Mavericks organization is happy with the start of what we all believed would be a promising season. 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. I’ve made the decision to part ways with General Manager Nico Harrison.”
Now, with the Mavericks missing the postseason after going 1-1 in the play-in round, combined with their poor start this year, it’s no surprise they made a major move. The pressing question now is who will be held accountable next if the Mavericks continue to struggle.
