Lead
On Monday night at the American Airlines Center, Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont arrived two hours before tip-off flanked by heavy security, a sign of the tense atmosphere surrounding the franchise. The visit came days after a dramatic sequence that ended with the dismissal of general manager Nico Harrison following months of fan unrest, roster injuries and operational missteps. The move closed a chaotic chapter that began when the Mavericks traded Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in February in exchange for Anthony Davis — a deal that has since fractured the roster and alienated supporters. By the team’s next morning news release at 11:24 a.m., Harrison was out and interim leadership was announced.
Key takeaways
- The Dončić-for-Davis trade was approved by owner Patrick Dumont in February; Harrison presented the proposal and Dumont signed off.
- The Mavericks are 3–8 overall, 2–5 at home and 14th in the Western Conference, a collapse that intensified calls for change.
- Luka Dončić is averaging 37.1 points per game for the Lakers, underscoring how painful the roster swap looks in hindsight.
- Anthony Davis has missed multiple games, including six straight with a left calf strain, and the team feared a torn Achilles if he returned too soon.
- Kyrie Irving remains out with a torn ACL from March; D’Angelo Russell has underperformed (27.8% from three), and Klay Thompson is shooting 26.7% from deep.
- Owner group Dumont, Sivan Dumont and Miriam Adelson purchased the majority stake from Mark Cuban for $3.5 billion in 2023; Cuban retains a 27% stake and reportedly lobbied for change.
- Nico Harrison’s tenure was criticized for questionable hires, strained internal relationships, uneven public messaging and roster construction that left the team light on offensive creators.
- Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi were named interim co-general managers while an external search and internal power dynamics play out.
Background
The Mavericks’ upheaval traces back to the franchise sale in 2023, when the Dumont family and Miriam Adelson bought the majority stake from Mark Cuban for $3.5 billion. Cuban retained 27 percent of the team, but the new ownership soon entrusted Nico Harrison with reshaping the roster and organization. In 2024 the team still reached the NBA Finals with a Dončić–Irving core, creating the expectation that management would support sustained contention rather than radical restructuring.
Those expectations turned into controversy in February when Harrison proposed — and Dumont approved — a blockbuster swap sending Dončić to the Lakers for Anthony Davis. The rationale Harrison offered publicly centered on defense and long-term balance, but the move removed a generational offensive creator who had been the franchise’s face. Fans reacted angrily and loudly at home games, turning the arena into an arena of protest rather than support.
Main event
After 282 days of mounting criticism, chants of “Fire Nico” and a season that deteriorated into a 3–8 start, ownership concluded that Harrison’s removal was necessary. The decision crystallized after a home loss to the Milwaukee Bucks when tensions boiled over in the arena and news of internal plans leaked the next morning. The Mavericks issued an 11:24 a.m. news release making the firing official and installing Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi as interim co-general managers.
Injuries accelerated the crisis. Davis re-injured himself shortly after joining Dallas and has missed extended time with a left calf strain; Irving remains sidelined with a torn ACL sustained in March. Those absences shifted pressure onto inexperienced or ill-fitting acquisitions — notably rookie Cooper Flagg, who has been asked to handle primary ball-handling duties despite being a 6-foot-9 forward and the No. 1 overall pick — and on veterans who have struggled to find rhythm.
Roster construction choices compounded the on-court problems. D’Angelo Russell fell out of favor with coach Jason Kidd, and Klay Thompson, who arrived in free agency for a three-year, $50 million deal, has performed below expectations and recently been moved to the bench. Combined with a league-worst offense and poor three-point shooting percentages, the result was a team that both plays poorly and struggles to generate fan goodwill.
Analysis & implications
Harrison’s dismissal reflects more than one bad trade; it signals a breakdown in personnel decisions, internal management and public relations. Multiple hires under Harrison were criticized as unqualified for their roles, including a head of public relations brought from a federal agency without experience in sports communications. That hiring pattern, plus departures of respected staff who pushed back internally, fed a perception that Harrison prioritized loyalty and control over expertise and collaboration.
On the basketball side, the loss of Dončić removed a premier playmaker whose shot creation masked many prior roster weaknesses. The core gamble — acquiring Davis to shore up defense and rim protection — has been undermined by Davis’s injuries and by the Mavericks’ lack of secondary offensive creation. The team’s decision to ask a rookie forward to handle point responsibilities and to reconfigure veteran roles has produced one of the league’s worst offensive ratings and exacerbated fan frustration.
Contract math complicates any fix. Davis and Irving hold large remaining salaries and player options; Davis is eligible for a three-year extension this summer worth roughly $218.5 million, and both players have expensive contract structures that limit flexibility. Dallas also lacks a first-round pick until 2026, which reduces short-term avenues for restocking via the draft and increases the appeal — and difficulty — of a longer rebuild.
Comparison & data
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Team record | 3–8 |
| Home record | 2–5 |
| Western Conference place | 14th |
| Luka Dončić scoring (Lakers) | 37.1 ppg |
| D’Angelo Russell 3P% | 27.8% |
| Klay Thompson 3P% | 26.7% |
| Days from trade to firing | 282 days |
These figures show the contrast between individual success for Dončić in Los Angeles and the team-level struggles in Dallas. The numbers underscore how a single personnel decision can ripple across wins, attendance atmosphere and organizational stability.
Reactions & quotes
“In Nico we trust.”
Patrick Dumont (public comment after the trade)
This line, once emblematic of owner confidence in Harrison, became a focal point of fan mockery after the subsequent results.
“It’s the losing. Can’t get off to a start like this (after making a trade like that) and survive.”
Anonymous league source
League executives framed the dismissal as a pragmatic response to on-court failure and sustained public pressure.
“Defense wins championships.”
Nico Harrison (public rationale for the Dončić–Davis trade)
Harrison’s defensive rationale did not translate into results, in part because of Davis’s injuries and the roster’s scoring shortfalls.
Unconfirmed
- Reports that Mark Cuban personally pressured Dumont for Harrison’s removal come from league sources and are consistent with media accounts but lack direct, on-the-record confirmation from Cuban or Dumont.
- Accounts that Jason Kidd issued a formal demand for Harrison’s firing are reported indirectly; there is no public record of a direct plea by Kidd to ownership at this time.
- Speculation that the Mavericks will move Anthony Davis this summer is widespread in league circles, but no official trade discussions have been confirmed publicly.
Bottom line
The firing of Nico Harrison closes a turbulent chapter for the Mavericks but opens a complex transition. The club is balancing immediate performance needs, a fragile relationship with its fan base and long-term cap and roster constraints that limit straightforward fixes. Ownership choices will now be scrutinized for their ability to recruit experienced executives, repair internal culture and chart a credible path back to contention.
For fans and analysts alike, the crucial questions are whether interim managers Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi can stabilize the roster, whether the organization will pursue a rebuild or retool around expensive veterans, and how Dumont’s ownership will manage competing pressures from Mark Cuban, the coaching staff and the marketplace this offseason.