Image Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Dallas Mavericks Fire Nico Harrison After 3–8 Start, Ending Turbulent Tenure Marked by Luka Doncic Trade Fallout

Image Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks fired general manager and president of basketball operations Nico Harrison on Tuesday, marking a swift and dramatic leadership change less than a month into the new season.

Team governor Patrick Dumont confirmed the move, announcing that Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi will take over as co-interim general managers while a full search begins for Harrison’s permanent replacement.

Dumont described the decision as part of the franchise’s “continued commitment to building a championship-caliber organization,” emphasizing the team’s goal to deliver results for players and fans alike.

BREAKING: The Dallas Mavericks and owner Patrick Dumont are expected to fire general manager Nico Harrison at a 10 am central time meeting on Tuesday, sources tell me and Tim MacMahon. pic.twitter.com/8ipXrhmvR9
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 11, 2025

Nico Harrison’s firing comes as Dallas stumbles to a 3-8 start. The atmosphere around the team reached a boiling point Monday night when fans at American Airlines Center chanted “Fire Nico!” during the fourth quarter of a 116–114 home loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Dumont was also spotted speaking to a fan wearing a gold Lakers version of Luka Doncic’s No. 77 jersey, a symbol of growing discontent.

From early success to growing tension

Nico Harrison, hired on June 28, 2021, arrived from Nike with strong industry ties and immediate success. In his first season, Dallas posted a 52-30 record and reached the Western Conference Finals. Two years later, the Mavericks made their first NBA Finals appearance since 2011, losing to the Boston Celtics in five games.

But that success unraveled following Harrison’s blockbuster decision to trade five-time All-NBA guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers just seven months after the Finals run. The move, met with widespread fan outrage, defined Harrison’s tenure and set off months of speculation about his future.

Finley and Riccardi take over interim roles

With Nico Harrison gone, Dumont turned to two familiar figures to stabilize the front office. Former Mavericks All-Star Michael Finley, who joined the organization in 2017 and has served in multiple executive roles, will share interim duties with assistant general manager Matt Riccardi, a Plano native with more than a decade of front-office experience from the Brooklyn Nets system.

The Mavericks will now begin their search for a full-time replacement while preparing to host the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.