The Dallas Mavericks fans have been baying for Nico Harrison’s sacking since his shocking call to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. The voices magnified this week when the Slovenian star played in Dallas for the first time since the trade.
Advertisement
Luka was the biggest hope for the Mavericks’ future. At just 25 years of age, he took the Mavs to the NBA Finals last season and would have ensured a few more trips in the coming years. However, Harrison, for reasons unknown, curtailed that journey, a move described by many as the biggest front-office blunder in NBA history.
Since then, “Fire Nico” chants have been echoing around the American Airlines Center. Last night, when Luka returned to Dallas for the first time, the chants were deafening. Doncic, in a telling contrast, was given a hero’s welcome and was cheered on every possession. The fans seemed happy despite the Lakers winning the game.
Looking at the disdain that the Mavs fans have for Harrison, his future in the organization looks to be on shaky ground. Many believe that he is going to be fired from the job soon.
Edo Muric, Luka’s Slovenian teammate and supposed best friend, shares a similar sentiment. He posted a graphic on his Instagram account, implying that Harrison’s Mavs tenure is headed to the grave.
Edo Murić… Luka’s slovenian teammate and one of his best friends story on instagram 😂 pic.twitter.com/aTppNZw9x1
— Luka Updates (@LukaUpdates) April 10, 2025
In the picture, Luka can be seen kicking Harrison down into his grave. In the background, Anthony Davis, who was traded to Dallas for Doncic, can be seen standing inside a building that has “Here lies Dallas” etched on it.
The underlying emotion the picture is conveying is that Harrison isn’t going to be around for long. However, some analysts feel differently.
Marc Stein believes that the Mavs’ management will give Harrison some more time to turn things around.
“It’s also true that the noise and negativity have scarcely faded over the past two months and are bound to be whipped back to frenzy levels all over again once Doncic is back in the building in Lakers colors,” wrote Stein.
When Doncic showed up in Dallas in purple and gold on Wednesday, more salt was sprinkled on the wounds of every fan of the franchise. So, even with the organization supporting him, it won’t be easy for Harrison to stay in Dallas if this team doesn’t make an impressive turnaround in the coming season.
