The Dallas Mavericks organization fired general manager Nico Harrison, who was responsible for trading franchise player Luka Dončić for Anthony Davis as part of a three-team deal, on Tuesday morning. Harrison had been praised in previous years for constructing a solid roster to support Dončić, including by acquiring Kyrie Irving following his stint with the Nets and other valued players like P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively II. However, his reputation disintegrated after the Dončić trade, which sports media widely panned while Mavericks fans called for his firing.
The firing, initiated by Mavericks governor and owner Patrick Dumont, arrives amid an awful start to the team’s season compared to preseason expectations. With a 3-8 record, the Mavericks have already been widely written off for playoff contention in the current season, even as Anthony Davis prepares to rejoin the team after injury. Kyrie Irving remains out with a torn ACL and is expected to return later in the season.
The Mavericks’ poor record highlights the difficulties of relying on aging stars like Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, who have often been sidelined by injuries, while the team’s window to win a championship with these veterans as central players continues to narrow. Although the trade compensation included first overall draft pick Cooper Flagg, who is expected to add a cornerstone franchise player, Flagg will likely develop over several years before fulfilling the role. Only two seasons after Dončić led the team to the NBA Finals, fans now fully feel the contrast between having Luka and going without him.
Dončić has not been struggling by any measure. In Los Angeles, Luka leads the league with over 37 points per game and has guided the Lakers, whom many media members predicted would perform worse than the Mavericks in the current season, to an 8-3 start. One of the criticisms of Dončić leaked by the Mavericks organization was lack of physical conditioning, but Dončić underwent a health transformation over the offseason documented in Men’s Health magazine, which appears to have quelled most of such concerns.
In Dallas, executives Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi will step up to take over Harrison’s responsibilities, according to a report by ESPN’s Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon. In an open letter to Mavs fans, owner Dumont explained, “When the results don’t meet expectations, it’s my responsibility to act,” and committed to returning the team to playing winning basketball.