Nico Harrison, the controversial General Manager of the Dallas Mavericks behind the shocking trade of Luka Doncic to Los Angeles Lakers in February, a decision that caused an incurable wound in the relationship between the directive and the fans, has been fired on Tuesday morning, according to sources close to ESPN. Assistant general managers Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi will be promoted on an interim basis.
The decision was made by the team governor Patrick Dumont, and his reasoning will be explained in a letter to fans to be sent later today, according to the sources.
Mavericks fans never forgave that he chose to trade Doncic, one of the best basketball players in the world, the star of the team and, beyond that, a huge commercial draw for the franchise and an icon for the city. Some fans protested outside of the stadium, chanting "go to hell" to Harrison. Some even brought a coffin to the protests...
Without Doncic, a streak of bad luck followed the team, with several injuries that further hampered the team and their chances in play-offs. The Mavs reached the 2024 NBA Finals and the 2022 Western Conference finals. This season, Mavericks are at the bottom of the Western Conference table, after eight defeats and only three wins, the inverse results for Doncic's Lakers (8 wins, 3 defeats).
Harrison originally justified getting rid of Doncic (following a series of criticisms about his physical shape that have been wiped out, after Doncic's stunning transformation) with the signing of Anthony Davis, saying that "defence wins championships", but Davis was injured right after signing him last season. This season, he got injured again with a left calf strain and missed the past six games for the Mavs. Harrison also said he underestimated how important Doncic was to the fans.