Ever since the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, there has literally been an outcry from fans to fire Mavericks President of Basketball Operations Nico Harrison. Fans let him know when Doncic came back to Dallas for the first time as a Laker.
After the Mavericks’ season ended, Harrison held an exit press conference. Much of the conference surrounded his decision to trade Doncic to the Lakers. In fact, one reporter leveled with Harrison with a simple but tense five-word question, “Why shouldn’t you be fired?”
Locked on Mavericks’ Isaac Harris was the one who asked this question, and Harrison gave a thorough answer, saying, “One, I think I’ve done a really good job here, and I don’t think I should be judged by the injuries this year. You have to judge from totality, from beginning to end.”
Harrison added that his personal relationships with ownership and the Mavericks’ potential going forward should prevent him from losing his job.
“I think I have a really good working relationship with Patrick [Dumont], the leadership that we have is really elite. And you’ll see next year when our team comes back, we’re going to be competing for a championship,” Harrison said.
Harrison has a point that, at full strength, the Mavericks are a playoff team, and injuries prevented that from happening. When Kyrie Irving returns from his ACL tear, Dallas could have a high ceiling as a playoff team.
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Even if they prove to be much better in 2026, if Dallas does not win a title, Harrison may be permanently viewed as the executive who actually traded Luka Doncic.
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