The Dallas Mavericks relieved general manager Nico Harrison of his duties Tuesday, nine months after the stunning trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. The decision came a day after majority owner Patrick Dumont acknowledged the move as a mistake during a courtside exchange with a fan.
Dallas Mavericks relieved Nico Harrison of duties on Tuesday
The unusual scene unfolded Monday night at American Airlines Center when Dumont was approached by a fan wearing a Lakers jersey. According to witnesses, the fan had heckled Dumont earlier in the season, prompting his father to tell him he couldn’t attend games again until he apologized to the Mavericks owner.
Security briefly cleared the interaction before allowing the fan to approach Dumont courtside. The fan, who was wearing a Lakers jersey customized with Doncic’s name, admitted he had flipped off Dumont during a previous game.
Just spoke with the fan that sat next to Patrick Dumont tonight…
— MFFL NATION (@NationMffl) November 11, 2025
He said that Dumont told him:
- He felt bad for the Luka trade
- What he did wasn’t in the best interest of the franchise
- He made a mistake and he’s trying to rectify it
- Wants to win back the fanbase pic.twitter.com/9mOqAzvyqg
“When I was on the way out, I was talking smack to Patrick and ended up flipping him off on my way out of the game,” Dickason told The Dallas News. “My dad saw me flip Patrick off and was like, ‘That’s not OK. The next time you’re at a game, you have to apologize to Patrick.'”
The Mavericks are firing Harrison nine months after the jarring and stunning Luka Doncic trade – a move for which Dumont took accountability and accepted as a mistake in a court-side interaction with a fan on Monday night. Https://t.co/PDzeix8ZmM
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 11, 2025
The exchange led to a brief but telling conversation between Dumont and the fan, during which Dumont acknowledged the organization’s regret about the Doncic deal.
Less than 24 hours later, Harrison was dismissed from his role as general manager.
ESPN’s Shams Charania broke the news Tuesday morning that a late morning meeting with Patrick and Nico will hand down the decision. Harrison’s tenure ends after three seasons leading the Mavericks' front office. It is unclear whether they will immediately name an interim replacement.
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