Mavericks' front office overhaul leaves important holdover from Nico Harrison era

After parting ways with vice president of strategy and analytics Andrew Baker and director of pro player personnel Makhtar N’Diaye, the Dallas Mavericks have nearly wiped out Nico Harrison's entire regime, leaving only one executive who worked under the maligned former president of basketball operations, Nico Harrison… Michael Finley.

Michael Finley’s history with the Mavericks runs deep

Of course, Finley wasn't brought to Dallas by Harrison. The former Maverick player suited up with the organization from 1996 to 2005 before taking on an informal role with Dallas in 2012.

Then, in 2017, the Mavericks promoted Finley to assistant vice president of basketball operations. Yet, his biggest promotion came in 2021, following Harrison's hiring. Finley was elevated to assistant general manager and vice president of player personnel, essentially becoming Harrison's right-hand man.

Subsequently, Finley and Harrison forged a strong partnership, pulling off several shrewd moves, including trading for Kyrie Irving, drafting Dereck Lively II, signing Derrick Jones Jr. and Naji Marshall, and trading for P.J. Washington. However, it all came crashing down when Harrison sent franchise superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in what's been dubbed one of the worst trades in all of modern sports.

From there, everything unraveled. Harrison was looked at in a different light and could never recover, ultimately getting fired in November 2025.

Following Harrison's dismissal, Dallas promoted Finley to an interim general manager role, sharing responsibilities with Matt Riccardi. Both executives held the role through the 2025-26 campaign and were even seen as potential long-term replacements. That is, until Dallas made a splash hire, bringing in former Toronto Raptors executive Masai Ujiri.

Finley remains as Dallas reshapes its front office

After Ujiri came aboard, the massive organizational changes began. Former head coach Jason Kidd was out two weeks following Ujiri's hiring, and various scouts and executives were let go. Meanwhile, Mike Schmitz was brought in as Dallas' new general manager, succeeding both Finley and Riccardi.

Yet, while Ujiri's hiring and ultimately Schmitz's pushed Riccardi out the door, Finley remains with the organization. There has yet to be an update on what Finley's role actually is, but he's still around, making him the lone executive from Harrison's staff to remain in Dallas.

Unlike Riccardi and various other former Mavericks executives, Finley's time with the organization outlasted Harrison's, likely being the reason he's still around. Finley has been around through multiple regimes and coaches — he's not someone who Harrison just brought in.

Finley is more than likely still around due to several factors, but most importantly, his strong reputation within the organization, dating back to his time as a player and continuing through his transition into the front office. Finley's Mavericks knowledge and pride run deep, making the connections he's formed along the way ever so valuable. Amid a team in transition, Finley actually provides some much-needed continuity.

Following all the recent turmoil, it's certainly interesting to see Finley sticking around, but not all that surprising. The Mavericks need at least one long-term franchise staple, and Finley is appearing to be that guy.

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