NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Dallas Mavericks have fired GM Nico Harrison, not only because of the infamous Luka Doncic trade, but also because players have not been available. In all fairness, Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and Cooper Flagg got Harrison canned.
Trading Luka was a bold move, but looking back at THAT moment, the Doncic we see with the Los Angeles Lakers this season was not the same Doncic that was in Dallas. That guy was out of shape and not willing to change. With the Lakers, he was expected and told through the media to make changes, and he finally complied.
The reason was, he did what he wanted to do with the Dallas Mavericks, while the Lakers had him change, but also, being traded showed Luka that the NBA is a business and he’s not untouchable. That trade changed his life and his perspective on the NBA.
Now, with Nico Harrison, the Mavs’ roster is not a bad one. The injury to Irving was a blow to the chest. With him running the point, the Mavericks stood a chance. Adding Davis was a great move. He provided defense and post scoring, but he can’t stay healthy. Then, the Mavericks got lucky and landed the No.1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and took Cooper Flagg. The team was ready to take off, or at least stay in contention until Irving returned. But Flagg is not blowing up the league like everyone expected he would.
But is that on Nico Harrison? Jason Kidd had Flagg running point, and the offense struggled. Then you take into account that Klay Thompson has forgotten how to shoot the ball. Yes, these are Harrison’s decisions, but these players are not playing up to their level.
Doncic is balling in LA, and that has also played a part in the Dallas Mavericks’ firing their GM. This is a hole that he dug, and there are consequences to this. But to put all the blame on Nico Harrison is not fair.
Luka was being hardheaded and would not change his ways. Davis can’t stay healthy. Irving is out, Thompson can’t shoot anymore, and Flagg is struggling. It’s bad luck for Harrison, and someone has to pay the price.
In all fairness, let’s see what this team looks like when they’re a complete unit. Harrison will not get to see a finished product. The issue now is what will happen when the new GM comes in? He may want to break this all down, which may force the Dallas Mavericks will resemble the New Orleans Pelicans or the Washington Wizards.
The vision was there; it’s just that the players have not executed the plan properly. He’s the fall guy, the scapegoat of what has happened to the Dallas Mavericks. Did Nico Harrison deserve to be fired? No, this is pressure from the outside, and the new owner did not want to lose face to a loyal fanbase. But what is going on currently is not all his fault.
The players that he threw his trust in have not returned the favor, and in the end, his decisions put him on the hot seat, but the players eventually cost him his job. The players failed Nico, not the other way around.
The Dallas Mavericks as an organization are putting themselves in a tight spot, and the new GM, well, his hands will be tied from the start. He has to suffer through a tough season or break it all down and start from scratch, and hope that ownership has his back, and most importantly, have patience.
Truth is, as a GM, not everything is going to work. What ultimately sealed the deal for Nico is that Luka is in shape and playing at a high level for the Lakers, nothing else. Everyone involved had to know this was a possibility, and the real deal is this: if Irving and Davis were healthy and on the floor and Flagg was playing like a true No. 1 pick, Nico Harrison would still have a job.
