The Dallas Mavericks fired general manager Nico Harrison on Tuesday. It was the end of what became a very bitter relationship Harrison had with the franchise and Dallas fans. On Tuesday, ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith blasted the Dallas franchise for all the consternation it caused fans.
Harrison was under fire from fans for trading Luka Doncic last season to the Los Angeles Lakers. In return, Dallas received Anthony Davis. Smith said Davis has been just average for Dallas, while Doncic is soaring in L.A.
“If you trade Luka Doncic, you can't be 3-8 on the season, with Anthony Davis already missing three games and having minimal impact to the success of the Dallas Mavericks,” Smith said on ESPN's First Take. “The trade is looking even more and more disastrous right now.”
.@stephenasmith reacts to the Dallas Mavericks moving on from Nico Harrison 😳 pic.twitter.com/8dZ3rOvmUn
— First Take (@FirstTake) November 11, 2025
Harrison was met with “Fire Nico” chants on Monday night, at the team's game against the Milwaukee Bucks. It would turn out to be his final game as general manager of the club. Harrison looked on into space as Mavericks fans rained down the chants.
“(Doncic) was your guy and never wanted to leave, and you pushed him out the door,” Smith said. “It's unforgivable in a lot of people's eyes. That's why Nico Harrison is gone.”
Dallas is 3-8 on the season. The Mavericks are moving quickly to try and find a replacement for Harrison.
Mavericks must now try and steer the ship back on course
The Mavericks must now move forward with new leadership. While Dallas has a losing record this season, the club does have a young star in rookie Cooper Flagg. Flagg has been leading the way for the struggling Mavericks.
Dallas' ownership and management will try and build the right pieces around Flagg. Smith said that Dallas' front office is also to blame though for the Harrison debacle.
“Mavs ownership is more responsible for this than anyone,” Smith added about Harrison's Doncic trade.
The Mavericks not only need to build a championship roster, but it also needs to restore trust with the fan base. Following the Doncic trade nearly a year ago, fans also protested outside the arena.
It hurt fans even more to see Doncic doing so well with his new team, the Los Angeles Lakers. This season Doncic is averaging 37 points a game, while shooting close to 50 percent from the floor.
Dallas plays the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.
