No more “Fire Nico!” chants. Nico Harrison has finally been put out of his misery as the Dallas Mavericks relieved him of his general manager duties on Tuesday.
One of the worst trades in league history has seen the Mavs plummet from reaching the NBA Finals in 2023-24 to a bottom-five record early in 2025-26. It’s not just about the record. A team with a readymade offense in Luka Doncic is 29th in offensive rating and most deficient in the areas Doncic thrives.
Monday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks was when the situation was finally deemed untenable and irredeemable. Dallas was in a tight contest and, despite that, “Fire Nico!” chants rang through the arena with Maverick players at the free-throw line. Losing while players are being put in extremely awkward positions added just one more problem.
So, what now for Dallas?
This situation would look that much worse without the Mavs having miraculously won the Draft lottery last spring. Had they been stuck in their original odds slot of the 11th pick, the future would be dependent on the likes of Cedric Coward, Noa Essengue, Derik Queen or Carter Bryant. Cooper Flagg is a huge saving grace here.
Is it best to try and win now or clear house and pivot fully to the Flagg era? Let’s examine the choices and why the Dumont family has to make every move count to earn back the trust of Mavericks fans.
Should The Mavericks Stay The Course?
Mavs fans were obviously frustrated by the poor start to the season, which provided exactly the fuel needed to force Harrison out.
With that stench removed, is it still worthwhile for Dallas to stay the course? It should be kept in mind the injuries to Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively II have hurt this team’s ability to compete. The jury is still out on the highly debated big lineup of Flagg-Klay Thompson-P.J. Washington-Davis-Lively, having outscored opponents by two points in 24 minutes this year.
It’s the lineup of D’Angelo Russell, Max Christie and Daniel Gafford in place of Thompson, Davis and Lively that has been an unmitigated disaster, getting outscored by 30 points in 35 minutes so far.
There are clear weaknesses. This roster doesn’t have enough ball-handling or outside shooting. Gafford was rumored as a trade candidate last season. That may provide a pathway to addressing those aforementioned weaknesses. Lively’s injury history does make it a tricky option, though.
Thompson’s days appear numbered, too. Although, he may be more of a buyout candidate than a viable trade option for another team.
Staying the course while tinkering where needed would still present the Mavs’ clearest path to providing a competitive environment for Flagg to develop before potentially pivoting further down the road.
Will fans be more comfortable seeing Harrison’s “vision” continue to play out with him gone? That’s the biggest question Patrick Dumont, along with interim basketball operations executives Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi, will have to figure out.
Rebuild Around Flagg Makes Most Sense
The reality of the situation may just be Harrison created such a visceral sense of frustration with the post-Doncic roster he created that the team may needed to start fresh around Flagg.
Putting Kyrie Irving, Davis, Thompson and other veterans on the trade market would set the vultures out across the NBA landscape. Davis would be considered the biggest prize. In particular, Eastern Conference teams like the Detroit Pistons could contemplate taking a big swing in what’s considered a wide open year.
Securing draft capital and players who can form a future core with Flagg would be the main priority. There is no one currently on the roster who should be considered untradeable core pieces to complement Flagg for years to come.
Lively, Christie and, to lesser extents, Jaden Hardy and Moussa Cisse are players considered to fit Flagg’s timeline. In this moment, it definitely hurts even more the Mavs moved the young and talented Quentin Grimes for veteran Caleb Martin.
In this scenario, Dallas fans will have to rip the bandaid off. They could no longer dream of “what if” or believe the team should still be contending right now with Doncic. This path is the clearest to the Mavericks feeling like “their” team again.
How Much Patience Will Fans Have With Dumont Family?
Mavs fans will realize their incessant calls for Harrison to be fired worked. This wasn’t a situation where their pleas fell on deaf ears. They will believe in their collective power to force ownership’s hand again, if needed.
All of the reporting indicates Harrison pursued the Doncic trade without any initiation from ownership. All signs point to an ownership group which fully trusted Harrison immediately following a trip to the NBA Finals.
Still, the Dumont family will have a short leash. If the Mavericks engage in a rebuild, trades involving the likes of Davis and Irving must be as close to home runs as possible. If they can’t find those deals, holding their ground could potentially be viewed as a positive by fans, refusing to be shortchanged on a trade for the sake of making one.
Moving on from Harrison was only the first step. Ownership and the front office will need to realize that. Dumont thanked the fanbase for holding them accountable and the Doncic trade will keep them scrutinizing every move to come.
If this franchise doesn’t nail its next phase, it’s only a matter of time before “No More Dumont!” chants may be ringing through American Airlines Center.
