The Dallas Mavericks have fired embattled general manager Nico Harrison on Tuesday the club announced. The team will promote assistant GM’s Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi to lead the Mavericks basketball operations department on an interim basis while the club conducts a formal interview process for the vacancy.
Harrison has beens serenaded by “Fire Nico!” chants, and even protests outside the Mavericks facility since he traded superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers back in February. With the team off to a sluggish start at 3-8, team governor Patrick Dumont apparently made the decision that enough was enough.
“Dallas Mavericks Governor Patrick Dumont today announced that the organization has relieved Nico Harrison of his role as general manager and president of basketball operations, effective immediately,” the Mavericks announced in a prepared statement.
“In conjunction with this decision, the Mavericks have appointed Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi as co-interim general managers to oversee basketball operations. A comprehensive search will begin for a permanent replacement.”
“This decision reflects our continued commitment to building a championship-caliber organization, one that delivers for our players, our partners, and most importantly, our fans,” said Dumont.
Harrison’s time with the organization began well enough, with the team going 52-30 in his first season with the Mavs during the 2021-22 NBA season. The team would advance as far as the Western Conference Finals before ultimately bowing out. Just two years later the team would make it to the NBA Finals, marking their first Finals appearance since their 2011 championship run.
However internal concerns about Doncic’s training habits, and potential for injury led to the shocking trade to LA, a deal which soured the fanbase on their GM and ownership. Despite the fact that the club miraculously won this year’s NBA Draft Lottery, earning the right to select Cooper Flagg 1st overall, the Dallas faithful weren’t keen on forgiving and forgetting, ultimately leading to Harrison’s departure.
Up next for the Mavericks is a Wednesday night showdown with the Phoenix Suns.
Photo: LHC88. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.