While the Dallas Mavericks organization would likely take a more diplomatic stance, Mark Cuban doesn’t hold back on how he truly feels about Nico Harrison anymore. Contrary to how he distanced himself from the ex-GM’s decisions, the billionaire has a more blunt stance after Harrison’s firing. In a candid and occasionally profanity-laced appearance on The Adam Friedland Show, Cuban opened up about the “mistake” that led to the most shocking transaction in NBA history: the February 2025 trade of generational superstar Luka Doncic.

The Shark Tank star sold his majority stake in the Mavs in late 2023 and remained as a minority stakeholder. Until then, he told Adam Friedland that he was completely involved in every transaction. “Everything—everything was my final decision,” Cuban said.

That, of course, changed not when he sold his shot-calling rights. His authority waned when he hired Nico Harrison to leverage the player relations he built at Nike. It turned into a power struggle between owner and the front office. By the time Cuban sold his stake, Harrison had exiled him out of day-to-day operations.

Cuban pointed directly to his 2021 hiring of Harrison as the catalyst for the disaster. “Yeah, in hindsight now it was a mistake, but um, whatever,” Cuban said regarding the hire.

Without Mark Cuban’s involvement, Harrison was free to do radical things like trade an ‘untouchable’ asset. While the trade sent shockwaves through the sports world a year ago, Cuban’s recent comments provide the most intimate look yet at the internal breakdown that cost Dallas its franchise cornerstone.

Mark Cuban saw the signs before the Luka Doncic trade

Cuban listed several reasons why hiring Nico Harrison was a mistake. He saw the cracks appearing when other personnel ignored him and followed Harrison. He goes on to admit that Nico “forced” him out when he got Patrick Dumont to trust him more. Now that Nico is gone, the impact might still be lingering as the new owners reportedly want to distance from their predecessor.

Where Cuban was involved in every decision within the Mavericks organization, Harrison rose to a position he could make decisions without warning the former head shotcaller of the team. Cuban recalled being at a healthcare event with Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear when the text arrived, signaling the end of the Doncic era in Dallas.

“I get a text from our general manager and he’s like, ‘Hey, give me a call.’ Nico… And that’s when—when he told me about it, I thought he was asking me as opposed to telling me. He’s like, ‘No, it’s done.’ I’m like, ‘What the f—?’ And that was it.”

The trade, which sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for a package centered around Anthony Davis, was finalized without Cuban’s input. Cuban confirmed to Friedland that he had learned to manage cap space and the CBA to help the team. But this move he described as a jarring departure from his 20-year tenure as the team’s primary voice.

Very quickly after the Februay 2, 2025 trade, Mark Cuban was asked if he would’ve done the trade. He firmly drew a line stating, “I’m not going to go there. Doesn’t matter.”

Eight months later, Nico Harrison was fired and Cuban returned to team operations again. And he’s a lot bolder about how he feels about his worst hire.