Latest Mavs Rumors on Search for New Front Office Exec to Replace Nico Harrison

The Dallas Mavericks' search for a replacement for former general manager and president of basketball operations Nico Harrison reportedly isn't yet close to reaching its conclusion.

According to Christian Clark and Dan Woike of The Athletic, the Mavs have started to vet candidates, but sources indicated they are not expected to hire a new lead executive until spring at the earliest since they "want to be able to choose from the widest possible pool of candidates."

That pool reportedly could include execs who are currently running other teams and aren't yet available.

Harrison took over as the Mavs' GM and president of basketball ops in 2021 before getting fired from that post this past November.

When Harrison was hired, he was fresh off a lengthy stint working for Nike and had no prior executive experience in the NBA. Per Clark and Woike, a source said the Mavericks have "no interest" in hiring someone without NBA experience again, adding, "[They] are going to over-index on the safety aspect of it."

While Dallas reached the Western Conference Finals in 2022 and the NBA Finals in 2024, Harrison's tenure with the Mavericks will likely always be remembered for the controversial Luka Dončić trade.

On Feb. 2, 2025, the Mavs and Los Angeles Lakers shocked the basketball world when Dallas sent Dončić to L.A. in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick.

The Mavericks were widely criticized for trading away the face of the franchise, and Harrison took the brunt of the blame.

Following the trade, the Mavs missed the playoffs last season, and they are currently 12th in the Western Conference with a 19-26 record this season.

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Meanwhile, Dončić has the Lakers in a playoff spot as the No. 6 seed, and he has continued his elite level of play, leading the NBA in scoring with 33.4 points per game this season.

Given the Mavs' struggles since the trade, there have been constant rumors and speculation about the organization selling off veterans like Davis and Klay Thompson in order to focus on building around 2025 No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg.

However, if the Mavericks do not plan on hiring a new GM until the end of the 2025-26 season, it may make more sense to wait until the offseason before making any major personnel moves.