The Dallas Mavericks organization is all set to fire Nico Harrison, who will always be remembered as the general manager who traded the face of the franchise, Luka Doncic, away. Harrison’s bold gamble did not pay off, and a disastrous start to the campaign forced the front office to say, “enough is enough.” It’s time for the Mavericks to hunt for a new honcho to steer the ship.
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Harrison brought Anthony Davis to the Mavs in exchange for Doncic and even lucked into Cooper Flagg by landing the No. 1 pick in the draft earlier this year. But injuries to Davis and Kyrie Irving, inconsistent performances from Klay Thompson, and an uncomfortable out-of-position Flagg have all collectively contributed to a 3-8 start for the Mavericks. This is a team that made it to the NBA Finals just over a year ago.
Of course, Harrison was (rightly) the one blamed, and owner Patrick Dumont has reportedly been considering firing him for some time now. Dumont was recently spotted talking to a fan during pregame warmups about how bad he felt for letting the city down with the Luka trade and how he hoped to win back the fan base. Getting rid of Nico was step one, as the former GM had become the most hated man in Dallas since Terrell Owens stood on the Cowboys star after scoring a touchdown. So, what’s next?
ESPN analyst Tim MacMahon just released a report revealing who minority owner Mark Cuban wants in the role. The popular billionaire might not be the majority owner of the franchise anymore after selling off his assets in 2023, but his voice still carries plenty of weight in Big D.
According to MacMahon, Cuban wants Dennis Lindsey, who is currently the Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Detroit Pistons. Lindsey previously was an advisor to the Mavericks in 2023 and is said to have been instrumental in their 2024 NBA Finals appearance. Not to mention that since joining the Pistons in the summer of 2024, Detroit has been to the playoffs and is right now the No. 1 team in the East.
REPORT: Mark Cuban wants the Dallas Mavericks to hire Dennis Lindsey as their next general manager, per @BannedMacMahon pic.twitter.com/9n5GJWyRc8
— MFFL NATION (@NationMffl) November 11, 2025
Before that, Lindsey served as the GM for the Utah Jazz between 2012 and 2019. In his first four years, Utah struggled to make the playoffs, but that was before the Play-In Tournament, and those squads were at least good enough to have qualified for it. Then, they made three straight playoff appearances and posted a 51-31 record in the 2016-2017 season. That year, they were eliminated in the Conference Semifinals by the Kevin Durant-era Golden State Warriors.
Suffice it to say, Lindsey’s resume speaks for itself. He has a proven track record of turning teams around, and if fans in Dallas are a little patient with his regime, he could get the Mavericks back into contending shape relatively quickly. The job is pretty enticing. You have a team that includes Flagg, Irving (almost back from his ACL tear), and, despite his age, Davis, one of the best big men in the game.
The question is whether Lindsey would want to leave Detroit, who now appear to be a front-runner in the East. Sure, Cade Cunningham will get most of the credit since he’s playing lights out at the moment. But every great superstar needs help, and Lindsey clearly provided Cunningham with some.
One thing is for certain: Dallas fans are sleeping a little better tonight knowing that Nico Harrison is no longer associated with the beloved franchise. Unfortunately for Nico, the damage he has done to the team is not an easy cleanup. Even if Luka never wins a title in Los Angeles, the spirit of Dallas basketball was crushed with that trade. It’s time for someone new to rebuild this once-great franchise.
