The Dallas Mavericks are firing Nico Harrison, as Shams Charania of ESPN was among the reporters to initially share the news. Harrison traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers nine months ago for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first round pick. Patrick Dumont and the Mavs have seemingly realized that the trade was far from ideal, and made the decision to move on from the general manager as a result. So, who will replace Harrison in the interim?
In the long run, the Mavs will surely either bring in a new general manager or announce an internal permanent replacement for Harrison. For now, it appears that team executives Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi will work together to serve in the role, according to Charania.
“The Mavericks and Patrick Dumont have 10:30 am central time meetings to appoint executives Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi to lead basketball operations in interim, sources tell me and Tim MacMahon,” Charania wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Finely is a former NBA player who spent part of his career in Dallas with the Mavs. An All-Star player, he enjoyed a strong career in the league. Finley has continued to work in basketball since retiring as a player. He is currently the assistant general manager and vice president of player personnel.
As the assistant GM, Finely was an obvious choice to help replace Harrison in the interim.
Riccardi also works as an assistant GM, as the Mavericks have two people serving in the position. He often helps in the day-to-day operations with the team. Along with Finley, Riccardi will help to replace Harrison as the Mavs' GM in the interim.
A new chapter for the Mavericks
Harrison had a good reputation in Dallas before the Doncic trade. The previous season, he had acquired Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington ahead of the trade deadline. The moves worked out extremely well, providing Dallas with necessary depth amid their run to the NBA Finals. Although the Mavericks fell short in the championship — losing to the Boston Celtics in five games — the future was bright in Dallas.
Harrison completely tanked his reputation by not only trading Doncic, but also moving Quentin Grimes to the Philadelphia 76ers for Caleb Martin — a move that has backfired on the Mavericks. Of course, the Luka decision receives the most attention and is what especially frustrated fans.
It will be interesting to see if Finley and Riccardi make any notable moves. The Mavs are currently 3-8 overall, but the team features enough talent to turn things around if they can get healthy. However, Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II and Kyrie Irving are among the players currently battling injuries. Davis could return soon, however.
It will be an uphill battle for the Mavs. The long-term outlook remains promising with Cooper Flagg on the roster. However, moving on from Harrison won't bring Doncic back. Luka would have been the face of the franchise for years to come, but Harrison's decision erased any hope of that coming to fruition.
Nevertheless, the Dallas Mavericks — as currently constructed — will move on and begin a new chapter following the firing of Harrison. There won't be any more “Fire Nico” chants at the American Airlines Center, so perhaps the players can get back to focusing on basketball and limiting the outside noise.
The Mavericks' next game is scheduled for 8:30 PM EST in Dallas against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.
