Mavericks rumors are exploding around Nico Harrison — and fans are loving it

Dallas Mavericks fans' push to "Fire Nico" has picked up steam over the last week or so, and it seems like this is a major possibility amid their struggles, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon. Dallas sits at 3-7 heading into Monday night's game against the Milwaukee Bucks, and this change could be coming sooner rather than later.

"At this point, I believe it is a matter of when, not if, Nico Harrison will be fired," MacMahon said on a recent episode of ESPN's The Hoop Collective. "There is a very, very strong likelihood that (it) will be midseason."

MacMahon continued to talk about how Harrison's currently "sizzling" seat with the Mavericks could cool off if they stack some wins and get back on track, but Patrick Dumont's trust in Harrison has "disintegrated" at this point. Signs that Dumont didn't trust Harrison as much as he once did were clear over the summer, as rumbles that he wanted to put in more checks and balances around Harrison's moves surfaced, and the Doncic trade quickly blew up in their face.

Mavericks seem set ready to move on from Nico Harrison

Dumont went from fully trusting Harrison to weighing in on when Anthony Davis should return from his current calf strain, according to MacMahon, and the Mavericks' disastrous start seems like it will end with Harrison being fired if these recent developments intensify. Mavericks fans are fed up, and it looks like some people from inside the organization are beginning to feel the same way.

Ever since the February 1 trade of Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis happened, anything that could possibly go wrong has. From Davis straining his adductor in his first game as a Maverick to Kyrie Irving tearing his ACL in March to Davis straining his calf in his fifth game of this season, Dallas basketball has been a nightmare, and Harrison has been at the center of it all.

Dumont signed off on the Doncic trade without involving anyone else in the decision-making process, and this ultimate trust in Harrison and his vision has sunk the Mavericks. They are the 14th-ranked team in the Western Conference through 10 games this season, and their offense has declined to historically bad levels.

On the other hand, the Los Angeles Lakers are 7-3 on the season, and Doncic's summer revenge tour has worked wonders for his game. He is averaging 37 points, 10 rebounds, 9.5 assists, and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 49 percent from the field, and all of this has been done without LeBron James on the court.

The trajectory of the Mavericks and Lakers couldn't be any more different, and the Doncic-Davis trade is to blame for that.

It must be remembered that Dallas' two best players, Davis and Irving, are injured right now, but anyone could've predicted that trading an all-world offensive engine, shot creator, and passer for an aging, injury-prone star would result in the Mavericks not having enough playmaking on the roster. They knew Irving would miss at least the first half of the season right when he tore his ACL, and to address this gaping hole, they signed D'Angelo Russell rather than trading for a guard.

This decision has also not worked out well for Dallas, as Russell is averaging a career-low 11.9 points per game on 37.5 percent shooting from the field and 27.5 percent shooting from downtown. He has been one of the only players who can adequately lead the offense and take the playmaking burden off Cooper Flagg's shoulders, which he should be commended for, but the Mavericks definitely should've been more intentional about finding Irving's replacement.

These offensive problems are direct results of poor roster construction following the worst trade in NBA history, and Harrison's seat continues to get hotter by the day. Dumont is hearing Mavericks fans' endless pleas to "fire Nico," and the best way to win fans back and flip this cursed page that has Doncic's name all over it would be to get rid of the man who caused it all.