In what Dallas Mavericks fans might call “justice,” “karma” or “duh,” depending on their mood, Nico Harrison did not come close to winning the NBA’s Executive of the Year award. Sam Presti, the executive vice president and general manager of the Oklahoma City Thunder, won the award for the first time.
Announced Tuesday, the annual award has been given since the 1972-73 season and is voted on by executives from the league’s 30 teams. While Harrison made arguably a bigger roster move than Presti during the season, voters evidently weren’t impressed, comfortably favoring the longtime Thunder executive over the Mavericks’ general manager.
The decision continues Dallas’ streak of never having won the award. The Thunder, then the Seattle SuperSonics, last won it with Bob Whitsitt in 1994.
Nico Harrison Struggles in Award Voting
Harrison didn’t exactly come close in the Executive of the Year voting. The Mavericks’ general manager failed to win a single vote. Thirteen of the league’s 30 personnel executives received at least one nomination, including Monte McNair, who was fired as Sacramento Kings general manager after the season.
Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison did not receive any votes for NBA Executive of the Year. pic.twitter.com/038e6vznHV
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth)
The Mavericks made the NBA Finals in 2024, losing to the Boston Celtics in five games after finishing the regular season 50-32. In 2025, the team finished 39-43 and missed the playoffs after losing in the Western Conference play-in tournament. Dallas has a regular-season record of 179-149 and 23-19 in the postseason during Harrison’s four-year tenure.
Harrison famously traded Mavericks star Luka Dončić—along with Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris—to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick. Dallas also acquired cash and a 2025 second-round pick from the Utah Jazz in the deal. The move sent shockwaves across the NBA and drew the anger of Mavericks fans and calls for Harrison’s dismissal.
Rob Pelinka, the Lakers general manager with whom Harrison made the trade, finished sixth in Executive of the Year voting.
Presti Picked for Prestigious Prize
By contrast, Presti’s win came as no surprise. The Thunder GM since 2007, he’s long been regarded as one of the NBA’s sharpest executives and talent evaluators.
Presti earned 10 first-place votes (worth five points each), along with six second-place (three points) and six third-place (one point) votes. His 74 points led all executives, beating out Koby Altman of the Cleveland Cavaliers (58 points) and Trajan Langdon of the Detroit Pistons (52 points).
Oklahoma City finished the regular season 68-14, the best record in franchise history. Before the season, Presti signed key rotation piece Isaiah Hartenstein, who averaged 11.2 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, and acquired defensive standout Alex Caruso from the Chicago Bulls. The Thunder swept the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs and trail the Denver Nuggets 1-0 in their second-round series.
Rafael Stone of the Houston Rockets, who led a second-place finish in the West, came in fourth in the voting, while the Clippers’ Lawrence Frank—who won the award in 2019-20—finished fifth.