Nico Harrison and his tenure as general manager of the Dallas Mavericks came to an abrupt end this week, and around the league, few were shocked, though disappointment lingered.
They had to fire him, one league executive told Yahoo Sports. Theres nothing wrong with trading superstars, but you have to canvass the league, get fair value and run a due process.
Harrisons dismissal follows a turbulent nine months that began with one of the most polarizing trades in recent NBA memory, sending Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis.
At the time, Harrison stood firm behind his reasoning, saying in April, Part of my job is to do the best thing for the Mavericks, not only today, but also in the future. Some of the decisions Im going to make are going to be unpopular. And thats my job, and I have to stand by it.
Team governor Patrick Dumont, still relatively new to NBA ownership, backed Harrison at the time. If you look at the greats in the league Jordan, Bird, Kobe, Shaq they worked really hard, every day with a singular focus to win, Dumont said. And if you dont have that, it doesnt work. You shouldnt be a part of the Dallas Mavericks.
Another executive told Yahoo Sports, Dumont didnt know the NBA and didnt know that trading Luka was career suicide, another executive told Yahoo Sports. He saw his own fans react, saw the NBA react, saw non-NBA folks react and it became a massive negative story. He did what he felt like he needed to do.
But as the losses mounted and fan unrest grew, the relationship fractured. Protesters gathered outside arenas demanding Harrisons removal just days after the trade, and the tension only intensified as the Mavericks stumbled to a 3-8 start this season while sitting 14th in the West with the 29th-ranked offense.
Injuries to Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson worsened the optics, especially as Doncic thrived in Los Angeles, averaging 37.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 9.1 assists while leading the Lakers to an 8-3 record.
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