Nico Harrison just exposed the brutal reason why Mavericks must fire him ASAP

The Dallas Mavericks' offseason has begun, as the team missed the playoffs. Dallas last missed the postseason in 2023, when injuries and early growing pains between Kyrie Irving and the rest of the team affected their chances. This marks the second time the Mavs have missed the playoffs in six years.

So, what's changed? A lot. For starters, the team suffered numerous injuries. Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II, P.J. Washington, and Irving dealt with injuries that set the team back. This put the Mavs in a bind, as the team's frontcourt and backcourt took huge hits. Dallas struggled to replace their production.

However, the biggest move was trading Luka Doncic. Nico Harrison shocked the NBA world when he traded the Mavs' superstar for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and the Lakers' 2029 first-round pick. He included Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris in the trade. The deal was questioned by fans and deeply misvalued.

It's a move that has haunted the Mavs organization for the past three months. Fans haven't yet fully gotten over the trade, as Dallas is officially out of the playoffs. Doncic, on the other hand, has the Los Angeles Lakers in a competitive playoff battle. It's clear Harrison misjudged trading Doncic.

Nico Harrison's lack of confidence proves he should be fired now

Harrison has proven time and time again that he has no clear reasoning for trading Doncic. On the day of the trade and in every press conference since, he spoke about the team's potential future and reiterated the same phrase, "defense wins championships." His justification for the trade was shameless, as the whole NBA world watched Dallas do the unthinkable.

Things worsened last week when Harrison held a private press conference with selected media members. They were not allowed to have any video recording devices, and the audio they recorded couldn't be posted. It was a bizarre move by the Mavs, as the team was preparing for their first play-in match the next day. This also marked the first time Harrison spoke since the Quentin Grimes trade.

Harrison made a fool of himself the following week when he held a press conference at the end of the season for all local media. He again stated, "Defense wins championships," and said he didn't know Doncic was this important to the fan base.

To make matters worse, it marked the first time Harrison referenced or even acknowledged the Doncic trade to all of the local media. He was constantly hiding in the tunnel at the game rather than sitting in his usual seats, and was absent during the team's introductory press conference for Davis and Christie. His silence has many fans questioning his true motives. Why wait until over two months after the trade to finally discuss it?

If he was confident in this trade, he would have spoken with local media about it immediately. But he didn't. And when he did finally speak to the local media, it didn't go well.

The press conference itself seemed unnecessary. Harrison dodged questions about his job and repeated the same phrases over and over from previous press conferences. He was also very nervous, and it showed. Harrison was constantly fidgeting with his pen when answering questions and also read from a script during the opening statement of the press conference. His verbal and movements said it all.

He doesn't seem confident about the franchise-altering trade that he made, and rather than standing by his decision, he has thrown Doncic under the bus any chance he gets to try to justify the trade. Harrison not just standing by a decision that changed the Mavericks franchise forever, and not seeming confident, is enough of a reason he should be fired, and he'll be under a major microscope moving forward for this disastrous decision.

Harrison's inability to provide a response about the reasoning behind the trade that extended beyond defense is questionable. Harrison hasn't given Mavs fans any hope as to why a future without Luka Doncic is hopeful. His rhetoric is all based on probability.

It's no wonder "Fire Nico" Chants has extended all over Dallas. Patrick Dumont has taken notice of fans' wishes. The owner has heard the plea, though, as he is frustrated with the backlash unfolding and he seems to feel that he was swindled. So, while it's a long shot, it looks like Dumont has taken note of everything that has transpired and is holding Harrison accountable.

So, it doesn't look like "Fire Nico" chants are quieting anytime soon. Plus, the fans' motivations could spur a move within the Mavs organization if things don't get better. Be prepared, Mavs fans. This could be a rocky 2025 offseason.