Nico Harrison’s Job at Risk as Mavericks Flounder Post Luka Doncic Trade

Nico Harrison has been facing a lot of heat both from fans and analysts ever since he traded franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic away.

Nico Harrison’s Job at Risk as Mavericks Flounder Post Luka Doncic Trade

Nico Harrison and Luka Doncic (Image via FirstSportz)

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Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison believed he was building a team that could fight for an NBA championship when he brought in Anthony Davis from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Luka Doncic.

He felt Doncic’s lack of questionable conditioning, ball hogging, and lack of effort on defense were going to be a deterrent. On the other hand, he felt Davis would be a major advantage on both offense and defense, which would help them exploit their lineup advantages.

Then, when Cooper Flagg essentially fell into his lap, Harrison was confident, as did many analysts and former players, who were quick to label the Mavericks as the best-equipped team to oust the Oklahoma City Thunder as champions.

Eleven games in, and the team is second from bottom in the West. Davis’ injury history has seen him play in only 14 of the possible 46 games. Those misses have compounded matters, and there is a genuine fear among fans that the team might not even make it to the play-in games.

At this point, I believe it is a matter of when, not if, Nico Harrison will be fired. There is a very, very strong likelihood it will be this season.

Tim MacMahon said on The Hoop Collective podcast

The Mavericks’ reporter recalled how owner Patrick Dumont claimed that they had complete trust in Nico Harrison after trading away Luka Doncic. Now, he believes that trust has disintegrated.

Their lackluster form and question marks about the team’s ability to generate playmaking have seemingly left the owners questioning why it was not addressed in the offseason.

Negativity surrounding Nico Harrison could prompt Mavs owners to make a decision

Since they are constantly losing, the furor surrounding Nico Harrison is not slowing down. Even in their game against the Milwaukee Bucks, ‘Fire Nico’ chants rang throughout American Airlines Center.

With the Mavericks already in a significant hole when it comes to simply reaching the playoffs, league sources tell The Stein Line that the rising and virtually ceaseless negativity that surrounds the franchise is indeed wearing on and troubling ownership.

Marc Stein revealed on his Substack

The negativity started immediately after the GM traded away Luka Doncic, and has not stopped. There are also rumors of ticket sales going down, which means the owners might be weighing in on every aspect.

There is a belief that even if the team turns its season around and makes it to the playoffs, Harrison’s future might depend on how Mavericks fans respond.

Dirk Nowitzki sounds out what is going wrong for Mavericks

Anyone who has a fair idea about the Dallas Mavericks would know that they have always leaned on offense from their star players and defense from their role players to be successful.

Cooper Flagg battling against the Hornets
Cooper Flagg battling against the Hornets (Image via Basket USA/X)

One of the experts at doing that was franchise legend Dirk Nowitzki. Now, as an analyst on Prime Video, the Hall of Famer laid out what is wrong with his former team.

I feel bad for my Mavs fans. This has been a disastrous start. Obviously, there’s a hole at the point guard and playmaking position…at shot creating, at shot making… They can’t shoot, they can’t make plays… Nobody can make shots. It’s been tough to watch.

Dirk Nowitzki said

His analysis seems to suggest that the team is struggling to generate plays, and their shooting woes are making matters worse. That lack of playmaking is squarely a problem created by Nico Harrison.

Since Kyrie Irving is a few months away from returning, their inability to generate scoring could haunt them. The issue is that the superstar guard is a score-first guard rather than a playmaker.

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