Nine months after the stunning trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks have made another major change.
Dallas is firing general Nico Harrison on Tuesday, ESPN's Shams Charania reports, cutting ties with the embattled leader of its front office after a tumultuous nine months. Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi will replace Harrison on an interim basis.
Harrison, who worked as an executive at Nike before making the leap to NBA general manager in 2021, oversaw the Mavericks' run to the NBA Finals in 2024 but came under heavy criticism after blindsiding the league by trading Doncic in February. The Mavericks are off to a 3-8 start this season, sitting 14th in the Western Conference.
Here's what you need to know about Harrison's dismissal in Dallas.
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Why did Mavericks fire Nico Harrison?
The Mavericks' decision to cut ties with Harrison comes after the Mavericks limped to the finish line last season following the controversial Doncic trade and started the current season just 3-8 with serious offensive struggles.
While Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont signed off on the Doncic trade, Dumont has reportedly become more involved in day-to-day decisions for the Mavericks in recent months and understands the criticism of the deal.
While Dumont initially followed Harrison's direction on major decisions, The Athletic reported, he is taking a "more active role" this season, appearing courtside at games and involving himself in injury decisions as well.
A conversation between Dumont and a young fan on Monday night revealed the changing feeling inside the Mavericks organization, with Dumont reportedly telling the fan he "feels horrible for the trade."
Dumont released a letter to Mavericks fans on Tuesday confirming he decided to fire Harrison. "When results don't meet expectations, it's my responsibility to act," Dumont said.
Patrick Dumont’s open letter to Mavericks fans after the ouster of Nico Harrison: pic.twitter.com/WESxulFRPr
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) November 11, 2025
While the Mavericks' NBA Draft Lottery luck that resulted in the right to select Cooper Flagg offered a brief respite from the criticism of the organization, Harrison continued to hear it from Dallas fans as the franchise struggled out of the gate this season. By all accounts, Dumont heard that criticism loud and clear and opted to cut ties with the general manager he inherited from Mark Cuban.
Luka Doncic trade
Harrison's reputation shifted overnight when he traded Doncic to the Lakers in February, receiving Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a future first-round pick for the superstar.
The decision to trade Doncic, who had not asked out, baffled many around the NBA, and reporting quickly revealed Harrison spearheaded the decision due to concerns about Doncic's conditioning and the goal of building a better defense.
Those explanations didn't sit right with most Mavericks fans. Doncic's performance on the court did not seem to be heavily impacted by his conditioning, as he averaged nearly 34 points per game and took Dallas to the NBA Finals in 2024, and the idea of trading a then-25-year-old mega star who was content to stay right where he was just didn't add up.
Worsening the criticism for Harrison was the return, which many believed was not nearly enough. Davis came with an injury history and many more miles on his legs, while Christie and just one first-round pick paled in comparison to the young players and draft assets exchanged in some of the NBA's other blockbuster deals.
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When did Nico Harrison become Mavericks GM?
Harrison was hired by the Mavericks in June of 2021, shortly after the organization parted ways with head of basketball operations Donnie Nelson. Harrison was an outside-the-box hire, as he had been serving as Vice President of North American Basketball Operations at Nike and did not have NBA front office experience.
The 2021 offseason was one of major change for Dallas, as Rick Carlisle also resigned as head coach, so the new regime of Harrison and coach Jason Kidd was put in place with Doncic as the centerpiece of an attractive young core that included Jalen Brunson.
Harrison let Brunson walk in 2022 but still molded the Mavericks into Western Conference champions by 2024 after acquiring Kyrie Irving, P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford in separate trades over a year-long span. Once he traded Doncic in 2025, the public perception of Harrison changed dramatically.
Nico Harrison salary
Harrison's exact salary is unknown, as is the case for most NBA executives, but he signed a new multi-year contract extension with the Mavericks in June 2024, during the franchise's run to the NBA Finals.
Who owns the Mavericks?
Patrick Dumont serves as the Mavericks' owner alongside his mother-in-law, billionaire Miriam Adelson. The Adelson-Dumont family purchased a majority share of the Mavericks from Mark Cuban in late 2023.
Dumont serves as the Mavericks' governor in owners' meetings and controls day-to-day operations for the franchise. Cuban remains a minority owner, owning a 27 percent share of the organization.
Dumont, who has said he was a lifelong NBA fan before purchasing the Mavericks, signed off on the Doncic trade organized by Harrison and has reportedly taken on a larger role in recent months after trusting Harrison's judgment early on.
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