Nico Harrison

Injury Notes: Giannis, AD, Bulls, Sixers

November 27th, 2025 at 6:56pm CST by Rory Maher

Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has been listed as questionable for Friday’s game in New York, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Antetokounmpo is dealing with a strained left adductor, which is part of the groin.

The two-time MVP has missed the past four games — and most of a fifth — after suffering the injury on November 17 at Cleveland. Milwaukee lost all five games without its best player and has dropped six straight overall.

Antetokounmpo, who turns 31 years old on Dec. 6, was also considered questionable for Wednesday’s game in Miami before being ruled out. Head coach Doc Rivers said the nine-time All-NBA forward hasn’t experienced a setback, according to Nehm (Twitter link).

“No,” Rivers said. “I was not in favor (of him playing Wednesday). I was very happy we decided what we decided. I was very uncomfortable with it. He really wanted to push and that’s who Giannis is. I was very happy with our medical team today. They decided at the end of the day, let’s wait. … We just thought it was the right thing to do. We gotta protect him sometimes.”

We have more injury updates from around the NBA:

As expected, Mavericks forward/center Anthony Davis is questionable for Friday’s matchup at the Lakers, as Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal relays (via Twitter). The star big man has missed the past 14 games with a left calf strain. Davis, who practiced on Wednesday, said it was “surprising” and “definitely tough” to see former head of basketball operations Nico Harrison get fired, but downplayed the trade chatter surrounding him in the wake of Harrison’s dismissal. “This is basketball,” Davis said, per Christian Clark of The Athletic. “This is what comes with it. I think everybody in their career has been involved in trade talks. Been traded. Or some type of move. That doesn’t affect me. I’ve been in trade talks for a while. My job is to do what I do on the floor. Play basketball. Try to lead this team. I do have an open line of communication with the front office. I’m just ready to get back on the floor.”
The Bulls have a lengthy injury report ahead of Friday’s contest in Charlotte, notes Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (Twitter link). Kevin Huerter (left pelvic contusion), Dalen Terry (left calf strain), Nikola Vucevic (right patellofemoral syndrome), Coby White (right calf strain injury management), and Patrick Williams (left wrist sprain) are all questionable, while Isaac Okoro is doubtful to suit up because of left lumbar radiculopathy.
In addition to Kelly Oubre Jr. and Trendon Watford, who are sidelined with knee and adductor injuries, respectively, Sixers center Joel Embiid has been ruled out of his ninth consecutive game on Friday against Brooklyn due to right knee injury management (Twitter link via Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer). Rookie guard VJ Edgecombe (left calf tightness) is also out for the third straight game, while forward Paul George is questionable with a right ankle sprain. George was inactive for Tuesday’s 41-point loss to Orlando, though he did practice on Wednesday.

Details On Power Struggle Between Mavs’ Cuban, Harrison

November 19th, 2025 at 3:19pm CST by Luke Adams

After speaking to more than a dozen sources within the Mavericks‘ organization, Tim MacMahon of ESPN took a deep dive today into the events that led up to Nico Harrison‘s dismissal as the team’s head of basketball operations last week, painting a detailed picture of a long-running power struggle between Harrison and minority owner Mark Cuban.

As MacMahon outlines, Cuban hired Harrison as Dallas’ president of basketball operations and general manager back in 2021, when Cuban was still the team’s majority owner and had the final say on basketball decisions. After Cuban sold control of the franchise to Miriam Adelson and Patrick Dumont in late 2023, he maintained a 27% stake in the team and hoped to continue running the basketball operations department too, but quickly found himself pushed out of the inner circle.

“Mark is a friend. I will consult him from time to time,” Dumont said during a basketball operations meeting after taking over as the Mavericks’ governor, according to MacMahon’s sources. “But make no mistake about this: I’m the governor of the team and I am making decisions.”

Sources inside the organization tell MacMahon that Dumont’s announcement was a welcome one to many people in the organization, including Harrison and head coach Jason Kidd, who were “often frustrated by what they perceived as Cuban’s frequently unproductive meddling in personnel decisions.”

However, sources familiar with Cuban’s thinking tell ESPN that he never meant for Harrison to have full autonomy on basketball decisions and that he didn’t believe the former Nike executive was qualified to be making those decisions, having hired him due to his relationships with players and agents. During Harrison’s first couple years with the team, Cuban still had to sign off on any personnel moves the Mavs made, while veteran executive Dennis Lindsey was brought in to “help mask Harrison’s perceived shortcomings as an inexperienced NBA executive,” MacMahon writes.

After Harrison became the Mavericks’ primary basketball decision-maker and Lindsey left for a job in Detroit, Cuban sought to regain some of the control he had lost. He now once again has Dumont’s ear in the wake of Harrison’s ouster.

“Mark’s been trying a palace coup for months,” a team source told ESPN.

Here are more highlights from MacMahon’s report:

After Dumont took over as the Mavs’ governor, Harrison began reporting directly to him instead of going through Cuban, as he sought to “ice out” the former majority owner. “Nico basically said, ‘Dude, I don’t want to deal with Mark anymore. He’s too much,” a team source told ESPN.
According to MacMahon, Harrison blamed Cuban for some of the Mavs’ biggest roster-related missteps in recent years, including losing Jalen Brunson and trading for Christian Wood, a player Kidd “didn’t want to coach.” Other members of the coaching staff and front office also blamed Cuban for those moves, MacMahon writes, adding that Harrison made the case to the new ownership group that the front office would function better without Cuban’s involvement.
Harrison strengthened that case by making savvy deals for P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford at the 2024 trade deadline and getting the Mavs to the NBA Finals, according to MacMahon, who notes that those deals only materialized after a trade sending two first-round picks to Washington for Kyle Kuzma fell through. “Nico did a hell of a sales job,” a Mavs official told ESPN. “He took credit for everything that was done. When Patrick asked questions — asked how we got Kyrie (Irving), how the draft happened, etc. — (Harrison) said he was the guy. We got on a roll and went to the Finals. Fool’s gold.”
While Dumont asked Harrison to keep Cuban in the fold, Harrison didn’t always do so — he and Cuban were communicating less and less after the sale, according to MacMahon. “Nico built the moat and put up the fence and said, ‘I got this!'” one source familiar with the situation told ESPN. Sources also said that Harrison was telling Dumont what he wanted the team governor to know, rather than everything Dumont needed to know. “The one guy in basketball ops who had a pipeline to Dumont wasn’t giving him the straight scoop,” a source said.
Having fully gained Dumont’s trust, Harrison sold him on February’s Luka Doncic blockbuster, making the case that committing to the star guard on a super-max contract worth a projected $345MM would be a bad investment due to conditioning concerns and recurring calf injuries, per MacMahon. At the time, Harrison and Doncic’s camp weren’t seeing eye-to-eye on the recovery process for his latest calf strain, which Harrison portrayed to Dumont as evidence that the perennial MVP candidate wasn’t fully committed to the Mavs. As MacMahon writes, Harrison also convinced Dumont not to loop Cuban in on those trade talks, contending doing so would likely result in a leak.
Cuban, who blamed Harrison rather than Dumont for the way in which his role in the organization was minimized, spoke out against the Doncic trade after the fact, and once the Mavs won the draft lottery in May he began pushing more aggressively for Dumont to make a front office change, MacMahon reports. Cuban’s case gained credibility because his criticisms of Harrison’s roster construction proved true — for instance, Cuban warned Dumont that a lack of ball-handling and play-making would result in Dallas having a poor offense, concerns which Harrison dismissed. The Mavs currently have the second-worst offense in the NBA.
Cuban’s relationship with Dumont never became contentious and he’s now once again part of the small group of team officials that has the governor’s ear, along with Kidd and co-interim GMs Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi. One source who spoke to MacMahon made it clear that Cuban is more of a consultant than a decision-maker, but the former majority Mavs owner is nonetheless thrilled to be back in the inner circle. “He’s walking around on air right now,” another team source told ESPN. “Cuban’s floating in his Skechers.”

Mavs Notes: Dirk, Harrison, Luka, AD, Turnovers, Flagg

November 15th, 2025 at 2:10pm CST by Rory Maher

Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki, now an analyst for Amazon Prime, recently weighed in on the team’s dismissal of head of basketball operations Nico Harrison (Twitter video link).

“Well, I think there’s just too many distractions, too much going on to keep going this way. This move should have probably happened this summer honestly,” Nowitzki said (hat tip to NBA insider Marc Stein). “I didn’t want this negative energy and this black cloud over the Cooper Flagg era, but here we are now.

“I just knew … I figured this fan base is a passionate and loyal fan base. I was lucky enough to experience it for 21 years. And I knew they weren’t (going to) just get over it, as people say, or forget about it. They’re extremely passionate.

“And this (Luka Doncic) trade just made no sense. It made no sense to (the fans). And, really, there was no explanation for it, either. You go to the (NBA) Finals the year before. You gave up all these assets to build, really, the team around Luka with some 6-9 wings that all can switch and guard. You had two lob threats with (Daniel) Gafford and (Dereck) Lively II and the team was built around him.

“You added Klay (Thompson) (when) the shooting was a little bit of an issue in the Finals against Boston. So you did all this. … Going into (the) Christmas Day game, they were 14-3 out of the last 17 games, so they’re just starting to hit their stride and then Luka gets hurt. And unfortunately that’s the last game he’s ever played in a Mavs uniform.

“It was very sad. It was very sad how that ended and it felt like … the fans feel like they got robbed of actually seeing the end, seeing this through, seeing Luka develop into hopefully a champion one day and it feels like they never got to see the end to this. So this was very heartbreaking.

“But now it’s time to move on. … Focus on this team, on this franchise. (The trade) definitely set the franchise back. But now it’s about building it back up. Obviously this team is struggling a bit, it needs the support all they can get. Hopefully we can have a good year here from now on and cheer the team up.”

Here’s more from Dallas:

After the Lakers lost to the Thunder on Wednesday, Doncic was asked for his reaction to the firing of Harrison, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN relays. “The city of Dallas, the fans, the players, they’ll always have a special place in my heart,” Doncic said. “I thought I was going to stay there forever, but I didn’t. So that will always be a special place for me. I will always call it home. But right now, I’m focused on the Lakers and trying to move on. But obviously, always there will be a part of me there. But just trying to move on and focus on what I’m doing here.”
Star big man Anthony Davis has been listed as questionable for each of the past four games, but he has yet to make his return from a left calf strain. League sources confirm to Stein that Davis won’t suit up again until the team’s medical staff informs governor Patrick Dumont that the 10-time All-Star has been fully cleared (Twitter link). Davis’ health status was reportedly a point of contention in the days leading up to Harrison’s dismissal.
Although the Mavs were able to claw their way back into Friday’s double-overtime loss to the Clippers, excessive turnovers — they committed 25 in the game — proved too difficult to overcome, particularly in crunch time, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. “It’s something we’ve talked about,” head coach Jason Kidd said. “We have to address it. We have to do better if we want to win — being able to get a shot, and then you want to get a quality shot. The turnovers hurt us. In overtime we had turnovers where we didn’t get a shot.”
After Friday’s game, Flagg admitted he feels more comfortable at his natural position of forward rather than running the point, which the No. 1 overall pick was asked to do to open the season. “Being a point guard comes with a lot of responsibility,” Flagg said, per Afseth. “I don’t know if I was ready for that right away. It doesn’t mean I can’t go back to it or improve… but lately it’s been better having someone else help with pressure.”

Mavericks Notes: Kidd, Harrison, Finley, Riccardi, Washington, Injuries

November 12th, 2025 at 8:39pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd hopes Tuesday’s firing of general manager Nico Harrison will lead to a better atmosphere at home games, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Fans turned against Harrison after he traded franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic to the Lakers in February, and “fire Nico” chants have been a regular feature at American Airlines Center, sometimes to the detriment of the home team.

“We can only hope that we don’t have to go through that again, because it was a little disrespectful, because the guys are playing hard, they’re trying to win,” Kidd told reporters before the Mavs hosted Phoenix on Wednesday. “Understanding that they got their point across, the fans, but we have to move forward. I understand the healing process for the fans, but these guys are playing hard. Ever since the trade, these guys have given everything.”

Kidd offered a reminder of the dire situation the Mavericks were in late last season, with only eight players available on many nights, but they still managed to reach the play-in tournament. He pointed out that his players are battling the odds again, with Anthony Davis missing his seventh straight game due to a strained left calf and Kyrie Irving still recovering from a torn ACL.

“We’ve got over, I think, $100MM (in player contracts) sitting on the sideline, and we’re still competing, and we’re still in games, and we’re learning how to win,” Kidd said. “So I would hope that we start to get a little credit for that, because these guys, they can hear those things and they feel really disrespected. And it’s hard to keep guys here in this league, when they start to think that the home team is not home — and then it becomes a visiting place. And so hopefully that changes tonight.”

There’s more from Dallas:

Kidd also expressed confidence in Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi, who have been appointed to handle the general manager’s duties on an interim basis, Townsend adds in the same piece. “I think we’re talking about basketball, right?” Kidd said. “And so it’s about getting back to x’s and o’s and competing. The two things that we can control is our energy and effort. Business is just talked about. We’ve got to push forward. We believe that Riccardi and Fin can do a good job, and they will do a good job.”
P.J. Washington, whose acquisition along with Daniel Gafford at the 2024 trade deadline sparked the Mavericks to an NBA Finals run, is sorry to see Harrison go, per Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. “I thanked Nico for what he did for me,” Washington said. “He believed in this group. So do I.”
Kidd also provided injury updates on Davis, Irving and Dereck Lively II, relays Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Twitter video link). He said all three players had positive workout days and are “working extremely hard” to get back on the court.

Mavs Rumors: Davis, Cuban, Kidd, Front Office, Harrison, Dirk

November 12th, 2025 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont has asked for medical data indicating that Anthony Davis isn’t at risk of aggravating his left calf strain before he signs off on the big man returning to action, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, who reports that Davis will miss a seventh straight game on Wednesday vs. Phoenix.

Davis’ status was a subject of disagreement during the final days of Nico Harrison‘s tenure as the Mavericks’ head of basketball operations.

According to MacMahon, Mavericks director of health and performance Johann Bilsborough and Davis’ personal medical team weren’t aligned on whether Davis was ready to suit up this past weekend. Dumont sided with Bilsborough, who wanted to take a cautious approach and hold Davis out a little longer, while Harrison was in favor of the star forward/center returning, sources tell ESPN.

Within a deep dive into the Mavericks’ front office change, Joe Vardon, Christian Clark, and Sam Amick of The Athletic cover similar ground, writing that Davis has pushed the team to let him play and that Harrison supported that push. However, per both The Athletic and ESPN, there’s concern among the medical staff about the risk of a torn Achilles if Davis returns too soon from his calf issue.

We have much more on the Mavs:

Minority shareholder Mark Cuban made a case to Dumont over the past several months that Harrison was leading the Mavs in the wrong direction, according to Vardon, Clark, and Amick, who report that head coach Jason Kidd and team officials loyal to Kidd were making a similar case.
While it’s unclear whether Kidd ever explicitly suggested parting ways with Harrison, he hasn’t seen eye to eye with the former GM over the roster, having opened the season by starting Cooper Flagg at point guard over free agent addition D’Angelo Russell, write Vardon, Clark, and Amick. After receiving contract extensions in each of the past two offseasons, Kidd had more leverage than the front office in any disagreement between the two parties, The Athletic’s report notes.
The Mavericks’ pick for Harrison’s permanent replacement could provide a hint at whose voice Dumont is weighing most heavily. League sources confirm to The Athletic that Cuban has advocated for bringing back former Mavs advisor and current Pistons executive Dennis Lindsey, while Vardon, Clark, and Amick say a Matt Riccardi promotion would represent a “clear sign of Kidd’s sway” within the organization. Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) believes Kidd will have a significant voice in the process, but hears from one source close to the situation that Dumont intends to conduct a “prudent and thorough” search.
According to The Athletic, Michael Finley was originally reluctant to accept his promotion to co-interim GM alongside Riccardi. Stein adds that league sources describe Finley as the Mavericks executive who was most strongly opposed to last season’s Luka Doncic trade before it was completed.
Citing turbulence and upheaval in the team’s health and performance department over the past year, Vardon, Clark, and Amick suggest that Harrison exhibited poor hiring practices and a lack of accountability during his time as the Mavs’ GM. The Athletic’s trio also points to the case of Victoria Martinez, who was hired as the team’s head of public relations in 2024 despite not having previous experience in the field and was subsequently fired this September after having spent the last few months doing “clean-up duty” following the Doncic trade.
In addition to making questionable hires for key roles, Harrison also didn’t respond well to anyone who disagreed with his way of doing things, multiple team employees told The Athletic. “If you offend Nico’s sensibilities any stretch of the way, that’s it,” a former employee said. “He’s a sensitive guy.”
Another factor that contributed to the decision to move on from Harrison was ownership’s desire to have a lead executive who is comfortable speaking to reporters – and fans – about the team’s plans, Stein writes. Even prior to the Doncic trade, Harrison wasn’t a natural in that role. After the deal, he was less inclined to hold media sessions and had a habit of putting his foot in his mouth when he did.
According to Stein, there’s optimism within the organization that Harrison’s exit could pave the way for former Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki to become more involved with the team again, either formally or informally. The Doncic trade and Harrison’s decision to fire longtime director of health and performance Casey Smith in 2023 were among the factors that chilled the relationship between Nowitzki and the organization.

Mavs Rumors: Harrison, Davis, Cuban, Kidd, Flagg, Cisse

November 11th, 2025 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Having lost trust in general manager Nico Harrison, Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont decided overnight on Monday that there was no reason to put off a front office change that seemed inevitable, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

[RELATED: Mavericks Dismiss GM Nico Harrison]

In making the decision to fire Harrison on Tuesday, Dumont may appease some fans in Dallas, who have frequently chanted “fire Nico” at home games since last season’s Luka Doncic trade. According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link), several Mavericks players actually preferred to play away from home this fall, since there was far less vitriol related to Harrison on the road. MacMahon makes a similar point, noting that there has been no home court advantage to speak of for the Mavs so far this season.

“These people don’t want us to win,” one player griped, according to a source who spoke to ESPN.

While Harrison’s exit may improve the vibes in Dallas to some extent, there’s still no quick fix for the 3-8 club, which has a significant hole at the point guard spot until Kyrie Irving is able to return from his torn ACL.

“There’s no point guard. You don’t have a floor leader,” an Eastern Conference scout told MacMahon. “That’s the first problem. Then you’re trying to make a guy who isn’t a point guard (Cooper Flagg) a point guard. The coach doesn’t trust the guy you signed this summer (D’Angelo Russell). That’s obvious. They don’t trust him enough to make him the floor leader, and that’s in line with the consensus around the league. They don’t have shooting, and they don’t have creation. Those are things you need to be a good offensive team.”

Russell, who was replaced in the starting lineup by Brandon Williams on Monday, has come off the bench in eight of 11 games so far and is posting career-worst shooting percentages. The Mavericks’ cap situation meant they had limited tools at their disposal this past offseason to upgrade their roster — they used their full taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Russell. Still, there presumably would’ve been more options available to Dallas on the trade market if the team had been willing to move some of its frontcourt depth to address the backcourt.

“Remarkable that Nico did not acquire a good guard this summer so they could win some games,” an Eastern Conference executive said to ESPN. “That was such low-hanging fruit.”

We have more on the Mavs:

One big question in Dallas now will be whether the team looks to move star big man Anthony Davis. John Hollinger of The Athletic argues that a Davis trade is the best path forward for the club and believes the 32-year-old would still command a haul of draft picks and/or young players, despite his injury history. According to MacMahon, several sources around the NBA agree with Hollinger and believe that the Mavs must at least gauge Davis’ trade value in the coming months. “You have Flagg, but you’re old and you don’t own your picks,” a Western Conference decision-maker told ESPN. “[They have to] be comfortable with taking two steps back if that’s the necessary path. Be patient. They need to lose this year, but I don’t see Dumont being comfortable with taking a step back. It’s not natural as a new owner.”
Former Mavericks majority owner – and current minority shareholder – Mark Cuban was involved in a meeting on Monday with Dumont and team president Rick Welts before Harrison was let go, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link). MacMahon, meanwhile, hears that Cuban and Dumont have talked more frequently in recent months and that Cuban is the one in favor of targeting former Mavs advisor Dennis Lindsey to replace Harrison. It remains to be seen how open Dumont will be to Cuban’s suggestions, MacMahon adds.
According to Stein, Dumont is expected to “lean heavily” on head coach Jason Kidd during this transition period. Kidd has signed contract extensions in each of the past two offseasons and is clearly in no danger of following Harrison out the door.
Despite the 3-8 start, there have been some bright spots in Dallas as of late. As MacMahon writes for ESPN, Flagg had his best all-around game on Monday, with 26 points and nine rebounds, and tied LeBron James as the youngest player in NBA history to score at least 25 points in a game. Additionally, two-way rookie big man Moussa Cisse seems to be finding his footing at the NBA level, having held his own in a rotation role with Davis sidelined, notes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. Cisse has averaged 7.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks in 17.7 minutes per game in his past three outings — the Mavs outscored opponents by 18 points in his 53 minutes on the court during that stretch.

Mavericks Dismiss GM Nico Harrison

November 11th, 2025 at 11:34am CST by Luke Adams

11:34 am: The Mavericks have made it official, announcing in a press release that they’ve parted ways with Harrison and elevated Finley and Riccardi as co-interim general manager, as previously reported. While Finley and Riccardi will run the front office for now, the Mavs indicated that they’ll conduct a “comprehensive” search for a permanent replacement for Harrison.

In addition to the press release, Dumont put out an open letter to fans addressing the decision.

“No one associated with the Mavericks organization is happy with the start of what we all believed would be a promising season,” Dumont’s letter reads, in part. “You have high expectations for the Mavericks, and I share them with you. When the results don’t meet expectations, it’s my responsibility to act. I’ve made the decision to part ways with General Manager Nico Harrison.

“Though the majority of the 2025-26 season remains to be played, and I know our players are deeply committed to a winning culture, this decision was critical to moving our franchise forward in a positive direction.

“I understand the profound impact these difficult last several months have had. Please know that I’m fully committed to the success of the Mavericks.”

9:25 am: The Mavericks are expected to move on from embattled president of basketball operations and general manager Nico Harrison, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, who reports (via Twitter) that Harrison’s dismissal is viewed as “imminent.”

ESPN’s Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon (Twitter link) confirm Stein’s reporting, stating that Harrison is expected to be let go at a 10:00 am Central time meeting on Tuesday.

MacMahon said on Monday that he believed it was a matter of “when, not if” Harrison will be fired, indicating that governor Patrick Dumont‘s trust in the Mavs’ top basketball executive has “disintegrated.” Christian Clark of The Athletic echoed that reporting this morning, writing that Harrison’s exit was considered inevitable.

A former Nike executive, Harrison had a significant hand in constructing a Mavericks roster that advanced to the NBA Finals in 2024, making key deals for P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford during that season. However, he has made a handful of missteps since then, most notably sending Luka Doncic to the Lakers last February in a shocking trade that incited a revolt among fans in Dallas.

While the Doncic blockbuster has overshadowed the rest of the Mavs’ recent moves, Harrison has made other questionable roster decisions within the past year, including another 2025 deadline deal that sent Quentin Grimes to Philadelphia for Caleb Martin. That trade moved the Mavs so close to their hard cap that they were unable to add any reinforcements – even on 10-day contracts – when their roster was decimated by injuries during the second half.

After missing the playoffs in the spring, the Mavericks were thrown a lifeline with a long-shot draft lottery win — they claimed the No. 1 overall pick despite having just a 1.8% chance and used that selection to draft top prospect Cooper Flagg. However, while Flagg figures to be the long-term franchise player in Dallas, his arrival hasn’t helped turn things around in the short term.

The Mavs are off to a 3-8 start this season, with a 2-5 record at home, where fans have frequently regaled the team with “Fire Nico” chants. As MacMahon writes for ESPN, that chant bubbled up several times during Monday’s loss to the Bucks, which was the first game Dumont had attended since the regular season opener.

While Dumont ultimately signed off on the Doncic trade last season, a fan who had a courtside conversation with the Mavericks’ majority owner at Monday’s game told Clark that Dumont said he “feels horrible” about the deal.

Injuries have played a part in the Mavs’ struggles since February’s trade deadline. Anthony Davis, the centerpiece of the return in the Doncic deal, appeared in just nine games for Dallas last season and has missed six of 11 contests so far this season due to a calf strain. Point guard Kyrie Irving, who became more important than ever without Doncic on the roster, sustained an ACL tear in early March and has been out since then.

Still, the Mavs knew entering the offseason that they wouldn’t have Irving available for a significant chunk of the season and Harrison’s most significant move to address that hole – signing free agent D’Angelo Russell – hasn’t worked out so far. Russell has started just three of 11 games this fall and hasn’t played up to his usual standards, making just 37.3% of his field goal attempts, including 27.8% of his three-point tries.

With Harrison on the way out, there has been a “push” from some members of the organization to try to bring back veteran executive Dennis Lindsey, according to Stein (Twitter link). A former advisor to Harrison in Dallas, Lindsey was hired in 2024 by the Pistons as their senior VP of basketball operations.

Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link), meanwhile, suggests there has been some chatter around the NBA about the possibility of head coach Jason Kidd moving into a front office role.

For now though, the Mavs figure to install an interim replacement for Harrison, per Stein and Mannix. Assistant general managers Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi are among the top candidates to take on increased roles, Mannix adds (via Twitter).

It remains to be seen what sort of vision a new head of basketball operations will have for the Mavs going forward — rebuilding around Flagg is a possibility, but not necessarily an inevitability. For what it’s worth, Stein reports (via Twitter) that Davis’ agent Rich Paul has established a strong relationship with Dumont and that the two parties communicate regularly.

Latest On Mavericks GM Nico Harrison

November 10th, 2025 at 10:27am CST by Luke Adams

As Marc Stein writes for The Stein Line (Substack link), Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont opted to continue backing president of basketball operations and general manager Nico Harrison throughout the offseason and into the 2025/26 season in large part because Dumont was the one who ultimately approved last season’s shocking, widely panned trade sending Luka Doncic to Los Angeles — even if Harrison was the one who instigated that deal.

However, while the vibes in Dallas appeared to be on the rebound after the Mavs lucked into the No. 1 overall pick in May and drafted Cooper Flagg in June, the team is once again on the downswing this fall, having gotten off to a 3-7 start.

According to Stein, as the Mavs try to overcome injuries, a lack of shot creation and play-making, and subpar point-of-attack defense, morale within the organization has “cratered.” The relentless negativity surrounding the team – including at home games, where Dallas has a 2-5 record and fans have repeatedly chanted for Harrison to be fired – has been wearing on ownership.

As Stein details, it still doesn’t seem as if Dumont is eager to make a front office change, but the idea of considering such a move has become “unavoidable” amidst the ugly start to the season.

In the latest episode of The Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link), ESPN’s Tim MacMahon essentially said the same thing in much stronger terms.

“At this point, I believe it is a matter of when, not if, Nico Harrison will be fired,” MacMahon said. “And there’s a very, very strong likelihood that will be mid-season. … After that Luka trade, Patrick Dumont, one of his infamous quotes was, ‘In Nico we trust.’ I’m just telling you, the trust is disintegrated at this point.”

MacMahon pointed to the recent handling of Anthony Davis‘ left calf strain as an example of how Dumont has become increasingly involved in organizational decisions that would previously have been left up to Harrison and/or other staff members. As MacMahon explains, Davis had hoped to return to action on Saturday in Washington, but was held out after some “internal disagreement” about whether that was a good idea.

“There was a lot of opinions voiced in that,” MacMahon said. “… One of the opinions – I don’t know if it was a veto, I don’t know how heavily this opinion weighed in – but one of the opinions that was involved here was Patrick Dumont’s. Patrick Dumont went from blind faith in Nico to now weighing in on whether a star can come back from injury.”

While MacMahon didn’t say it outright, his implication was that Davis rushed back from an injury last season in an effort to quell the negative PR surrounding Harrison and that Dumont didn’t want to risk having that happen again.

“My understanding is that there were people with the Mavericks’ medical staff that were saying, ‘We cannot rush this guy back,’ that Dumont certainly agreed with that, and that ultimately – I was told – by the end, everybody was on the same page. You know, OK,” MacMahon said with an eye-roll. “Ultimately they decided to hold off at least another couple of days. But the fact that Patrick Dumont is involved in that sort of decision making is a major, major development.”

The ongoing absence of point guard Kyrie Irving, who is recovering from an ACL tear, has been one major reason for the Mavericks’ struggles so far this season. But the front office knew heading into the offseason that Irving would miss a significant chunk of the season, and its major summer addition meant to fill that point guard void – veteran free agent D’Angelo Russell – wasn’t even in the starting lineup to open this season. Instead, Flagg – the NBA’s youngest player – was asked to take on a primary ball-handling role that was new to him.

According to Stein, if Dumont does make an in-season move to replace Harrison, the motivation would be two-fold. In addition to ensuring that the executive responsible for the Doncic trade isn’t the one continuing to make crucial personnel decisions, the goal would also be to recapture some positive vibes and try to win back fans that were alienated by that shocking deal.

Mavs Notes: Harrison, AD, Gafford, Dirk, Cuban, Cisse, More

November 8th, 2025 at 2:15pm CST by Rory Maher

At 2-7, the Mavericks are in last place in the Western Conference, having lost at home to the 1-8 Wizards and the 2-6 Pelicans, who were on the second end of a back-to-back (and without Zion Williamson). They nearly suffered another home defeat to the 1-7 Pacers.

Dallas currently has the worst offensive rating in the NBA by a significant margin.

The disastrous start has people around the league questioning whether head of basketball operations Nico Harrison could be fired sooner rather than later, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said on the Howdy Partners podcast with Michael C. Wright (YouTube link).

“A legitimate question right now is: Is Nico Harrison’s job in serious jeopardy? That is an absolutely legitimate question,” MacMahon said (hat tip to RealGM). “It’s the question obviously Mavericks fans have been hoping would be answered with an affirmative since early February.

“I don’t have a firm answer for you right now — that’s as much as I can tell you. But it is absolutely a legitimate question. When you talk to people about the Mavericks around the league, it is the first question that people are asking.

“(Harrison) stuck his neck out by making the most unpopular trade in NBA history.”

As MacMahon pointed out, Harrison has come under heavy scrutiny since he shockingly decided to trade franchise player Luka Doncic to the Lakers for a package headlined by Anthony Davis.

With an ill-fitting, injury-plagued roster and Doncic thriving in Los Angeles, Tim Cowlishaw of The Dallas Morning News argues it’s time for governor Patrick Dumont to listen to the fans who have been chanting for Harrison’s dismissal ever since the deal was completed.

Here’s more on the Mavs:

Star big man Davis has been upgraded to questionable for Saturday’s matchup against Washington after missing the past four contests with a left calf strain, as Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal relays. “He seems in good spirits, and I think he’s doing fine health-wise,” head coach Jason Kidd said Friday. “So we’ll see. But I don’t know about (Saturday).” MacMahon hears Davis has been targeting tonight’s contest for his return to action (Twitter link). Center Daniel Gafford is also questionable after aggravating his right ankle sprain in Friday’s loss in Memphis.
Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki, now an analyst for Amazon Prime, didn’t mince words about the team’s poor start on Friday, per Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. “I feel bad for my Mavs fans,” Nowitzki said. “This has been a disastrous start. Obviously, there’s a hole at the point guard and play-making 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.”
Longtime majority stakeholder and current minority owner Mark Cuban also weighed in on the team’s struggles during a radio appearance on The Stephen A. Smith Show, according to Townsend. “You know, I’m not thrilled with the composition of the team,” Cuban said. “I think we’re imbalanced. We don’t have enough depth at point guard. We don’t have somebody who’s a creator that gets other people shots or enough of that. And so I didn’t think we were going to crush it and start off 8-0, but I didn’t expect 2-6 (as of Friday).”
Rookie center Moussa Cisse, who is on a two-way contract, provided a spark off the bench on Friday amid what was an otherwise dispiriting loss at Memphis, Afseth writes for Dallas Hoops Journal. The 23-year-old big man finished with career highs of 10 points (on 4-of-5 shooting) and eight rebounds in 14 minutes — the team was plus-18 during his time on the court in the 14-point loss. “He plays hard — that’s how he plays,” Kidd said. “He’s out there to prove that he belongs. He’s hungry, and that’s what stands out when you watch him play. He plays one way — he plays hard and he plays fast.”
Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal and Townsend of The Dallas Morning News pass along several more quotes from Friday’s loss to the Grizzlies, who entered the night on a four-game losing streak (Memphis is now 4-6).

Texas Notes: Popovich, Harper, Flagg, Mavs Fans

October 26th, 2025 at 9:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Spurs have unveiled a banner in honor of former head coach Gregg Popovich, according to The Associated Press. The team honored the legendary coach ahead of its home opener against the Nets today.

The banner was not accompanied by a celebration or ceremony, in keeping with Popovich’s wishes and style. In understated fashion fitting for the team and person it’s honoring, the banner simply read: “Pop 1,390,” in reference to his 1390 wins, the most of any coach in NBA history, followed by “Hall of Fame,” as tribute to his 2023 induction.

“I think it’s very Pop-esque,” Mitch Johnson, who is currently in the midst of his first full season as the Spurs head coach, said of the unflashy ceremony.

Popovich took out an ad on page A12 of the San Antonio Express-News today to express his gratitude to the fanbase, relays Mike Finger of the Express-News (via Twitter).

“While I will miss being on the sidelines, I’m content knowing this transition came at a time when we were fortunate to have Mitch Johnson in place, ready to take over the program,” Popovich wrote. “All of us across the organization are excited to, once again, experience the good times together. Thank you for all the great years and here’s to many more.”

We have more from around the world of Texas hoops:

The Spurs were on the cusp of blowing a 26-point lead to the Nets on Sunday — then Dylan Harper happened, writes Jeff McDonald of the Express-News. Harper finished his third game as a professional with 20 points and eight assists off the bench, and his teammates felt that he helped turn the tide. “He’s making all the right plays,” Spurs forward Keldon Johnson said. “When we had that little slump in the second half, he came in and bought that spark.” Mitch Johnson was thrilled with Harper’s performance on both ends of the court against Brooklyn. “I think his offense was really good and obviously his stat line will represent that,” the Spurs’ coach said. “But I thought his defense was better than his offense.”
Cooper Flagg spoke about the Mavericks‘ 0-for-2 start to the season ahead of their Sunday night tip-off against the Raptors. “It came down to turnovers — just silly ones we shouldn’t have thrown,” Flagg said of the team’s 117-110 loss to the Wizards. “We’ve got to take care of the ball because that led to a lot of transition opportunities for them.” Flagg has been operating as the Mavs’ primary ball-handler through the first three games, and has had some positive moments while still working on learning the intricacies of running an offense, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. Flagg became the second player under 19 to have a game with at least 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists, Afseth notes, with the other being LeBron James.
It took just two games for Mavericks fans to regain their frustration with team leadership, writes Marc Stein of the Stein Line (subscriber link). Stein writes that “Fire Nico” chants, referencing general manager Nico Harrison, were audible in both of the team’s two losses to start the season, the first one coming at the hands of Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, and the second against the Wizards. Harrison remains confident in his position with the team, which Stein notes is bolstered by the support of owner Patrick Dumont, partially because Dumont was the person who signed off on Harrison’s trade of Luka Doncic.

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