Mavericks' only path to win fans back before it's too late is abundantly clear

The Dallas Mavericks hit rock bottom on Wednesday night in Milwaukee, suffering an embarrassing 137-107 blowout loss to the Bucks. The game was over before halftime, as the Mavs trailed by nearly 40 points throughout the second half, fielding a skeleton crew of just eight active players—the league minimum. For fans, it was less of a game and more of a prolonged public execution.

But this disaster didn’t happen in a vacuum. It came just days after the devastating news that Kyrie Irving tore his ACL, a heartbreaking injury that sent shockwaves through the franchise. And if that wasn’t painful enough, between this and the loss in Milwaukee, it only adds to the fallout of a Luka Doncic trade that still feels like a nightmare to Mavericks fans. While the Los Angeles Lakers, the team that landed Doncic, continue their climb up the Western Conference standings, Dallas is free-falling.

If the Mavericks’ lack of depth wasn’t already painfully obvious, Wednesday’s beatdown put it on full display. Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo had their way with Dallas’ defense, both dropping 30-point performances with elite efficiency. The Mavs couldn’t stop a nosebleed, and with almost no reliable scoring options available.

The lone bright spot, if you can even call it that, was Klay Thompson, who showed signs of life after looking utterly defeated when Irving went down. This was not what Thompson expected when he signed with the Mavericks, but he still had an elite game as big-time players do. He knocked down 6-of-14 from deep and finished with 28 points, his second-highest scoring game of the season. Naji Marshall also stepped up, contributing 22 points on an efficient 10-of-18 shooting. But outside of those two, the Mavericks were completely outmatched.

The Mavericks have to fire Nico Harrison now

If the Mavericks want any chance at winning their fans back, they have to start by firing Nico Harrison. That’s the only move that even begins to turn the page on this nightmare of a season.

Nine months ago, this team was three wins away from hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Now, they’re staring down the barrel of a full-scale rebuild, all at the hands of one man: Nico Harrison.

Harrison’s tenure started with promise and commitment to building around Doncic, but the decisions he’s made over the past month have sent the Mavericks spiraling. The Luka Doncic trade will haunt this franchise for years if not forever, Irving’s injury only magnifies the issue building around 30-year old stars, and this roster is an unbalanced mess. For a guy who started his tenure amazingly, he’s left the Mavs with nothing but regret.

Harrison was brought in as a front-office outsider with connections, a supposed fresh approach to roster-building. But what has that actually led to? A gutted core, a complete mismanagement of assets, and a team that looks closer to tanking than contending. The Doncic trade will go down as one of the worst moves in franchise and NBA history, and the lack of foresight in roster construction—especially when it comes to depth and guard versatility—has left the Mavericks in shambles. His inability to commit a generational talent is an unforgivable failure.

There’s no fixing this season. That much is clear. But if the Mavericks want any hope of moving forward, it starts with cutting ties with the man who got them here. The longer they wait, the further the franchise drifts from relevance—and the harder it’ll be to bring the fans back.