By Janina Nuno Rios
(Reuters) -The Dallas Mavericks have fired general manager Nico Harrison, the NBA team confirmed on Tuesday, ending a four-year tenure defined by bold decisions that culminated in the trade of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this year.
Harrison’s dismissal follows a dismal 3-8 start to the 2025-26 season that erased much of the optimism created by Dallas’ 2024 Finals run and the drafting of top prospect Cooper Flagg with the first overall pick in June.
“This decision reflects our continued commitment to building a championship-caliber organization, one that delivers for our players, our partners, and most importantly, our fans,” said Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont in a team statement.
DONCIC GAMBLE
Harrison’s tenure became defined by the February deal that sent perennial All-NBA selection and MVP contender Doncic to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis and a draft compensation.
That blockbuster trade, billed internally as a reset toward roster balance, has since drawn widespread criticism.
After helping Los Angeles to 50 wins and a third seed in the Western Conference last season, Doncic has got off to a fast start this term, leading the league in scoring at 37.1 points per game.
By contrast, Davis has been beset by injuries since arriving in Dallas, as he left the Oct. 29 game at Indiana with a low-grade calf strain and has missed six consecutive games while the team evaluates his recovery.
Despite flashes of promise from the 18-year-old Flagg, Dallas have stumbled to five losses in their last six games, and fan frustration has been mounting for weeks, with chants of ‘Fire Nico!’ echoing at the American Airlines Center arena.
Dumont’s decision to act before mid-November reflects the team’s poor start and a growing sense of urgency around stabilising the franchise’s direction.
Harrison, 52, was hired in 2021 and received a multi-year extension in June 2024 after helping build the Mavericks roster that reached the 2024 NBA Finals. He had publicly defended the Doncic trade as a necessary evolution, telling reporters in April, “We have no regrets.”
“Part of my job is to do the best thing for the Mavericks, not only today, but also in the future,” he added. “Some of the decisions I’m going to make are going to be unpopular.”
Assistants Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi will serve as co-interim general managers, Dallas said, as the team begins a “comprehensive search” for a permanent replacement.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico CityEditing by Toby Davis)
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