Nico Harrison Firing Explained by Mavs Governor Patrick Dumont in Open Letter to Fans

Dallas Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont addressed his decision to fire general manager Nico Harrison in an open letter shared Tuesday with fans.

Dumont wrote that "no one associated with the Mavericks organization is happy with" the team's 3-8 start to the 2025-26 season.

"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," Dumont wrote.

Dumont continued: "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."

Harrison was in his fifth season as general manager of the Mavericks. His dismissal came about nine months after he traded Luka Dončić in exchange for Anthony Davis and about four months since selecting Cooper Flagg at the top of the 2025 draft.

The decision to fire Harrison game after Dumont sat courtside at a Mavs game on Monday for first time since the season opener, per ESPN's Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon.

He watched as the Mavericks blew a double-digit fourth quarter lead and lost to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Harrison was named general manager of the Mavs ahead of the 2021-22 season, during which the team earned 52 regular-season wins and made it to the Western Conference Finals.

The Mavs were eliminated in five games by the Golden State Warriors, then missed the playoffs altogether following a 2022-23 season during which Irving was limited to just 20 games.

Irving, Dončić and the Mavericks made it as far as the NBA Finals in 2024 before losing in five games to the Boston Celtics.

Dumont wrote in his open letter that as of the Mavericks' Game 5 Finals loss to the Celtics "we all agreed our future was bright."

"As fans of this franchise, you have every right to demand a commitment to success from us," Dumont wrote.

Harrison made the shocking decision to trade Dončić following a 26-23 start to the 2025-26 season.

The Mavericks lost Irving to his torn ACL in early March, then missed out on the playoffs despite 40 points from Davis in a play-in loss at the Memphis Grizzlies.

Mavs head coach Jason Kidd recently indicated Irving could return to the court as soon as December.

If Davis, who underwent eye surgery this offseason and has recently missed five games due to a calf injury, is able to return by then, the Mavericks could play Irving, Davis and Flagg for the first time.

It sounds like Green feels the Mavs should have waited until that point to evaluate the impact of Harrison's decisions on the franchise.

Instead the Mavericks' front office will be led in the interim by assistant general managers Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi.