Nico Harrison Says He's Done 'Really Good Job' With Mavs, Can't Be Judged by Injuries

Dallas Mavericks fans have been calling for general manager Nico Harrison to be fired for months, but he believes he's done enough to deserve to keep his job.

"I think I've done a really good job here, and I don't think I can be judged by the injuries this year," he told reporters Monday when asked why he shouldn't be fired. "You have to judge the totality from beginning to end."

Harrison's self-assessment likely will do very little to appease Mavs fans. After he pulled off one of the most shocking trades in NBA history by sending star guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas endured a run of misfortune that only added to fans' anger.

Star forward Anthony Davis, who headlined the return package from the Lakers for Doncic, missed six weeks after suffering an adductor strain in his Mavs debut. Star point guard Kyrie Irving suffered a season-ending torn ACL that will likely force him to miss a significant chunk of the 2025-26 campaign as well. Key players like centers Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II missed time throughout the year as Dallas struggled to put together a consistent lineup.

The mounting injuries led to a disappointing 39-43 finish to the regular season for the Mavs. The team fell short of the playoffs after losing to the Memphis Grizzlies in the play-in tournament.

Still, Harrison maintained his confidence that he's leading the franchise in the right direction. He declared that Dallas will be a title contender when the team gets fully healthy.

"I think I have a really good working relationship with Patrick [Dumont]. I think you add in Rick [Welts], the leadership that we have is really elite," he said. "You'll see next year when our team comes back, we're gonna be competing for a championship."