Tonight is a night of celebration in Dallas, as the team has selected Duke phenom Cooper Flagg with the number one overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Flagg represents a star reset for the Mavericks after they traded Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in February — something that shook the Mavericks fanbase to the core.
Adding to Dallas’ woes, Kyrie Irving suffered a season-ending ACL injury on March 3, and Anthony Davis missed 18 consecutive games after getting injured during his Mavericks debut on February 8. After all the devastation, the Mavericks failed to move beyond the play-in tournament, ironically ending their season exactly 77 days after trading the No.77.
Now, with the selection of Flagg, “A new era begins tonight,” the Mavericks posted on social media on Wednesday. But if anyone thought that Mavericks fans have moved on from the trade, they might need to think twice. Ever since the trade, Harrison has been berated with “fire Nico” chants. The draft of the franchise’s next superstar didn’t change that.
Nico Harrison Still in the Eye of the Luka Dončić Trade Storm
At a watch party at American Airlines Arena, Mavericks fans sat patiently to hear the words they’ve been waiting for from NBA commissioner Adam Silver: “With the number one pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks select Cooper Flagg”.
That anticipation didn’t stop the faithful in Dallas from expressing their distaste with their team’s general manager. In a loud chorus, Mavericks fans could be heard chanting “fire Nico“.
“Fire Nico” chants at the AAC for the Dallas Mavericks Draft Watch Party.
Dallas is currently on the clock with the No. 1 pick. pic.twitter.com/qmYnQw2ePb
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) June 26, 2025
It has become a bit of a rallying cry for Mavericks fans, many of whom are still devastated at the loss of Dončić. While Nico Harrison might have hoped that the fan base was ready to move on, it appears that he is sorely mistaken.
The arrival of Flagg will likely ease the wounds associated with the loss of their superstar eventually, but it looks like that doesn’t necessarily mean that fans will ever forgive Harrison.
For as long as he is at the helm in Dallas, he will be known as the man who ran an MVP candidate in his prime out of town. More damning yet is that Dončić wanted to stay in Dallas according to all reports, making the vitriol towards Nico Harrison that much more venomous and pointed.
Likely the only elixir for Harrison and the Mavericks faithful will be winning a championship, which is a tough set of expectations to throw at a young player finding his footing in the NBA. For the time being, it seems that Nico Harrison’s relationship with his fan base will remain fractured, despite the fact that they were able to strike gold in the Lottery.
