On his résumé, Nico Harrison can tout runs to the 2022 Western Conference finals and 2024 NBA Finals among his exploits during slightly more than four seasons as Mavericks general manager.
Regrettably for Harrison, those triumphs appear destined to be permanently eclipsed by the most infamous trade in NBA history and its nine-month (and counting) fallout.
Worse for the Mavericks franchise and its fans, the catastrophic damage of that Feb. 1 trade of Luka Doncic to the Lakers will endure long after Harrison’s Tuesday morning firing.
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At the moment, the devastation is reflected in the Mavericks’ 3-8 record, woeful offense, salary-cap-restricted roster and dearth of future draft picks — but the damage’s full extent might not be evident for months or years.
Congratulations to co-interim GMs Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi and whoever gets the permanent title: You’ve got a colossal mess to clean and limited resources with which to do so, short of a major teardown and rebuild.
Seeing the Mavs’ current state, it seems hard to believe that shortly after midnight Feb. 1, with apoplectic fans reacting on social media, Harrison confidently told The News:
“I understand why they would be shocked initially, but I do believe that we positioned ourselves to win now and also win in the future.”
Last season crumbled beneath an avalanche of post-Doncic-trade injuries, but when the Mavericks lucked out and got No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg despite 1.8% draft lottery odds, Harrison again expressed confidence in the franchise’s future.
“Fortune favors the bold.”
Aside from the bright future of 18-year-old Flagg, who is coming off a 26-point, nine-rebound, four-assist performance against Milwaukee, fans probably aren’t feeling so charmed.
Consider:
— Anthony Davis, the major returning piece in the Doncic deal, has played in 14 of a potential 44 games since coming to Dallas.
The Mavericks are 16-28 since the trade, 8-6 in games Davis has played. If Mavericks management later deems this season a lost cause, 10-time All-Star Davis, 32, is their best trade asset. But unless Davis returns and shows sustainability, Dallas will get pennies on the dollar.
— Klay Thompson turns 36 on Feb. 8, three days after the trade deadline. He mostly came to Dallas to play with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, but Doncic is long gone and Thompson is averaging 7.4 points on 31% shooting.
— D’Angelo Russell, the free agent Harrison signed to fill the point guard void until Irving’s return from ACL surgery, leads the team in assist average, but at a paltry 4.9 per game.
He’s also shooting 28% on 3-pointers, has started only three games and on Monday was replaced in the starting lineup by two-way player Brandon Williams — who, by the way, is shooting 21% on 3-pointers.
— Speaking of Irving, he turns 34 in March and is coming off major surgery. Fans who think he’ll be a cure-all when he returns in January or February should understand that players coming off ACL tears usually aren’t back to near-normal until the season after their return.
And those best-case examples usually aren’t players nearing their mid-30s.
“No one associated with the Mavericks organization is happy with the start of what we all believed would be a promising season,” Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont wrote in his Tuesday open letter to fans. “You have high expectations for the Mavericks, and I share them with you.
“When the results don’t meet expectations, it’s my responsibility to act.
“Though the majority of the 2025-26 season remains to be played, and I know our players are deeply committed to a winning culture, [firing Harrison] was critical to moving our franchise forward in a positive direction.”
Granted, moving forward without “Fire Nico!” fan chants at every home game will be a welcome relief for Mavericks players, coaches and even reporters, but the franchise’s path is far different than when it was coming off the 2024 Finals loss to Boston.
And that three-to-four-year championship window Harrison cited at the time of the Doncic trade? The Irving and Davis injuries and Thompson’s drop-off have narrowed that time frame considerably, as have these realities:
— According to spotrac.com, the Mavericks are $66 million over the NBA salary cap and just $1.92 million below the dreaded second apron. That threshold is to deter high-salaried teams with penalties, including the loss of the midlevel exception and the inability to use cash or aggregate salaries in trades.
— During his 1,597 days as general manager, Harrison traded 19 players and 19 draft picks; and acquired 15 players and 12 draft picks, according to ESPN NBA front office insider Bobby Marks.
After the 2026 draft, however, Dallas won’t have total control of any of its first-round picks until 2031.
Those are challenging realities for Finley-Riccardi and whoever ultimately succeeds Harrison, but the opportunity to build around Flagg and the likelihood of a new arena early next decade should be enough to intrigue quality applicants.
As for Harrison, it seems likely he’ll lay low and be in no hurry to update that aforementioned résumé: 2022 conference final; 2024 NBA Finals; traded Luka Doncic; dismissed nine months later.
On Tuesday, he did update his Instagram bio: “Girl dad. Unemployed.”
Twitter/X: @townbrad
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The team’s ability to improve through the draft will be severely limited after the 2026 offseason.
Nico Harrison’s moves as Mavericks GM: Which players and draft picks were traded, acquired
Several of Harrison’s moves were considered wins, up until his trade of Luka Doncic.
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