Nico Harrison's Firing as Mavs GM Celebrated by NBA Fans After Luka Doncic Trade

Dallas Mavericks fans took to social media on Tuesday to show their approval for the reported firing of general manager Nico Harrison.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported that Harrison's departure is "imminent" and could be announced as soon as Tuesday, and ESPN's Shams Charania followed that up by reporting that Harrison is expected to be fired Tuesday following a meeting with Mavs owner Patrick Dumont.

Amid the Mavericks' disappointing 3-8 start this season, fans of the team celebrated the decision to make a significant change in the front office:

Last season, Harrison took part in one of the most shocking and significant trades in NBA history when he sent Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick.

While Davis is a likely future Hall of Famer, he is now 32 years old and injury prone, whereas Dončić is a 26-year-old, elite offensive player with some prime years still ahead of him.

After the February trade, the Lakers went on to reach the playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, and the Mavericks lost in the play-in tournament.

Things have looked even more lopsided so far this season with the Lakers off to an 8-3 start compared to Dallas' 3-8 mark.

While Mavs fans largely seemed happy with the firing of Harrison, Lakers fans jokingly showed their appreciation for the GM on social media since he played a role in Dončić going to Los Angeles:

The Mavericks named Harrison general manager and president of basketball operations in 2021, and the team actually experienced significant success during his relatively short tenure.

During Harrison's four full seasons at the helm, the Mavs reached the playoffs twice, and they made it to the Western Conference Finals both times.

In 2024, the Mavericks went all the way to the NBA Finals before falling 4-1 to the Boston Celtics.

That is what made the Dončić trade an even more questionable decision, as that Finals run was largely thanks to Luka's on-court performance.

The Dončić trade did perhaps help the Mavs get their next face of the franchise in Cooper Flagg.

By missing the playoffs last season, the Mavs were in the NBA draft lottery, and they won it, giving them the opportunity to take Flagg first overall out of Duke.

Flagg's presence suggests the Mavericks still have a bright future, but it will be someone else who gets the opportunity to build a contending roster around Flagg rather than Harrison.