Dirk Nowitzki drops the hammer on Nico Harrison after Mavericks' brutal collapse

The Dallas Mavericks' firing of former general manager Nico Harrison wasn't viewed as a shocker by many, given the poor start the team is having (3-10 through 13 games). After Harrison was fired on Tuesday, Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki said something about Harrison and his time in Dallas that Maverick fans will love to hear.

Nowitzki mentioned that Harrison should've been fired after last season ended. Harrison was talked about all the time last season for trading away Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in February, and he quickly became the biggest villain in franchise history. Fans couldn't stand him, and it seems like the big German agrees with Patrick Dumont's decision to fire him.

"This move should have happened this summer, honestly," Nowitzki said about the Mavericks firing Harrison. "I didn't want this negative energy and this black cloud over the Cooper Flagg era, but here we are now."

Dirk Nowitzki says Mavericks should've fired Nico Harrison long ago

Nowitzki also went into detail about how the Doncic trade didn't make sense to the Mavericks, the fans, and how there was no explanation for it. Considering Doncic led the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals, the trade happening when it did still doesn't make sense today.

When he traded Doncic, fans immediately wanted him banished from the organization. "Fire Nico" were the two most famous words throughout Dallas before he was fired. After being fired, the chances of Harrison getting another general manager job will be low, considering how bad the Mavericks have been since the Doncic trade.

Harrison destroyed the franchise that Nowitzki loved with just one move, and Nowitzki's true feelings on the move reflect that of many heartbroken Mavericks fans.

The fact that Nowitzki said what he said shows how much he loves Maverick fans still. Just about all Maverick fans were voicing their displeasure about Harrison, but the fact that Nowitzki said how the trade didn't make sense at all shows even he knows the trade by Harrison made no sense then, and it certainly doesn't make sense now.

It might be some time before the Mavericks can start contending for titles again. An idea of how the Mavericks can jumpstart the Flagg era is to trade the main player they acquired in the Doncic trade. That is Anthony Davis.

There have already been many trade projections made around Davis from fans and media alike, and there have even been some true trade rumors that indicate that the Mavericks may consider making some big trades. Everyone knows that Davis' injury history is a major issue with his game despite being one of the NBA's top big men. Davis has been injured many different times in Dallas, and Doncic has thrived this season in Los Angeles.

Davis being injured, the Mavericks struggling, and Doncic dominating in Los Angeles make the trade look incredibly bad for the Mavericks. It may be a while before Dallas sees a winner, and the greatest player in franchise history clearly sees how bad the trade continues to look.

Nowitzki supports and feels Mavericks fans' pain that they can't watch Doncic at the American Airlines Center. Now, the fans could be watching one of the worst seasons in team history if they continue to fall further down the standings.

Even by the time Kyrie Irving is healthy enough to return, the hole may be too deep for the Mavericks to get out of.

"It was very sad," Nowitzki said of the Doncic trade. "It was very sad how that ended and it felt like ... the fans feel like they got robbed of actually seeing the end, seeing this through, seeing Luka develop into a hopefully a champion one day and it feels like they never got to see the end to this. So this was very heartbreaking."

Nowitzki's comments show that Mavericks fans are fully justified in not being over the Doncic trade, and he is right there with you.