The move that seemed inevitable finally occurred Tuesday morning, when Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban fired the under-pressure general manager, Nico Harrison. This decision followed the revelation of internal disagreements between Harrison and Dumont regarding the management of Anthony Davis’s lingering calf injury.
With the Mavericks fans’ trust in the team’s front office at an all-time low, Dumont stepped in to try to right the ship.
Why Did Patrick Dumont Fire Nico Harrison?
Simply put, Harrison has to wear the trade that has haunted the Mavericks franchise since the 2024-25 season. Trading away franchise superstar Luka Dončić, just months after he led the team to the NBA Finals, was a shocking move.
Acquiring Anthony Davis, a player significantly older with a lengthy injury record, seemed like a risky proposition, and those fears have since been realized. Davis has missed more than half of the team’s games, while Dončić is playing like an MVP candidate in Los Angeles. However, what’s raising eyebrows is what Dumont’s public letter to fans did not say.
Only 24 hours after ESPN insider Tim MacMahon reported that it was a matter of “when, not if” Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison would be fired, the “when” occurred quickly. With Harrison’s position becoming untenable, Dumont had seen enough. Since the news of the firing broke, Dumont has penned a letter to Mavs fans addressing the firing.
One of the reasons given for the firing, stated in the letter, was the team’s performance: “When the results don’t meet expectations it is my responsibility to act.” This statement comes as the Mavericks are sitting at 3-8, just half a game from the bottom of the Western Conference.
Dumont also made it clear that the decision was critical to move the team forward: “Though the majority of the 2025-26 season remains to be played, and I know our players are deeply committed to a winning culture, this decision was critical to moving the franchise forward in a positive direction.”
Patrick Dumont’s open letter to fans. pic.twitter.com/7D4L5PJp7r
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) November 11, 2025
While Dumont’s reasons were sound and are likely to be a relief to many Mavs fans, it is somewhat ironic that he brings up results not reaching expectations, which began after the team won the Western Conference in 2024, and yet does not mention the Dončić trade, which instigated that collapse. Critics were quick to point out the absence of Dončić in the letter.
Sam Quinn of CBS Sports picked up on this and wrote in reply to the letter: “Skipped a pretty important event between May 30, 2024, and the beginning of the 2025-26 season.”
Meanwhile, Dan Woike wrote in a similar vein: “Two words that caused all this aren’t mentioned – “Luka” and “Dončić””
Two words that caused all this aren’t mentioned — “Luka” and “Dončić” https://t.co/9Cs8j8tpe3
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) November 11, 2025
Perhaps Dumont chose to leave out the superstar’s trade from the letter, while Davis is still a key part of the Mavericks. However, when attempting to reach out to fans honestly, critics will point out that it is hard to be honest about the decline in results without mentioning the trading away of the main reason for their prior success.
Nevertheless, this firing was inevitable to attempt to right the ship, with the next GM tasked to build around young Cooper Flagg.
