Is there any way for Nico Harrison to save his reputation in the eyes of the Dallas Mavericks fanbase? After trading away their franchise cornerstone in order to acquire Anthony Davis from the Los Angeles Lakers, Harrison has been subjected to an incredible amount of negativity from the Mavericks fans.
As a result, he has been one of the major talking points for the media and is a topic of frequent conversation. Brian Windhorst, a well-known sports writer and analyst for ESPN, recently spoke on the Mavs’ current situation and the fanbase’s mentality toward Harrison.
Brian Windhorst Believes Mavericks Should Focus on Next Season
As things stand, the Mavericks have a small chance of making the playoffs. After defeating the Sacramento Kings in the play-in tournament, Davis and his squad are now matched up against Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies, with the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference playoffs on the line.
Although the Mavericks still have a chance to qualify for the postseason with a win against the Grizzlies, Windhorst painted a grim picture by pointing out that there is virtually no hope for the team this season.
“Even if they get into these playoffs, they’re gonna lose to the [Oklahoma City] Thunder, and it’s just gonna be last year they beat the Thunder, and this year they’re going to lose to them, but I think it’s true that nothing in the NBA is wasted. This is one of the big lessons that I learnt watching Gregg Popovich over the years,” Windhorst said.
“Gregg Popovich was a master at always making something productive out of anything, even the end of a blowout or a game where he was sitting his starters, he always used it. The Mavericks can use this, and there’s a possibility that they can gain some internal momentum that they can build for next year.”
“For [Nico Harrison], there’s nothing that can happen this year that’s gonna save his reputation.” 😳 @WindhorstESPN on what a Mavs’ playoff appearance would mean for Dallas fans 👀 pic.twitter.com/V6cKdUE1bJ
— First Take (@FirstTake) April 17, 2025
Windhorst then turned the situation toward Harrison: “But for Nico? There’s nothing that can happen this year that can save his reputation in the eyes of Mavericks fans, the only thing would be … are they getting to the [NBA] Finals … because they made the Finals last year. … Ownership signed off on it, but it was Nico’s trade.”
Windhorst makes an interesting point. Although it is still possible for the Mavericks to gain something positive from this season, saving Harrison’s reputation in the eyes of the fans is impossible as things stand currently. This is especially true since the Mavericks are not expected to make it out of the first round, assuming they are even able to make it to the playoffs.
In any case, questions regarding how far this team will be able to go and what changes they will make in the upcoming offseason continue to loom.