If you felt the American Airlines Center rumble this fall, it wasn’t just the bass in the arena speakers; it was the “Fire Nico” chants. After a 3–8 faceplant to start the season and months of backlash over the Luka Doncic blockbuster, the Dallas Mavericks are moving on from Nico Harrison. Owner/Governor Patrick Dumont, who greenlit that jarring Doncic-for-Anthony Davis deal, has since told fans he “feels horrible” about it. And now, with the exit door creaking open, the question everyone in Dallas (and NBA Twitter) is asking: who actually replaces Nico Harrison?

Let’s walk through the how, the why, and the who with all the tea.

How We Got Here: The Long, Loud Goodbye

Nine months ago, Harrison swung for the fences and traded franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic to the Lakers for an injured Anthony Davis and loose change. The move was immediately branded “the worst trade in NBA history.” Fans booed from the first whistle of the next home game, held protests, and made “Fire Nico” the unofficial team slogan.

On the floor, the fallout was brutal. Coming off a 2024 Finals run, Dallas cratered. Davis aggravated his injury on arrival, Kyrie Irving tore his ACL weeks later, and an offense once powered by Luka’s shot creation became an “unmitigated disaster.” Even the secondary moves turned sticky like flipping Quentin Grimes for Caleb Martin and boxing the cap sheet into a corner, all while missing a chance to pry Austin Reaves or extra firsts from L.A.

Off the floor? Equally messy. Harrison alienated beloved staff (the trainer and others gone), reportedly prompting Luka to gripe privately that “they get rid of everybody I like.” Then came the infamous invite-only presser: media handpicked, messaging vague, “defense wins championships” repeated like a screensaver, and a weird dismissal of input from Mark Cuban and Dirk Nowitzki because they “weren’t in the building constantly.” That presser didn’t steady the ship. It capsized it.

By early November, Dumont, hearing the chants again during a Nov. 10 home loss, and hashing it out with fans, decided the status quo wasn’t survivable. The club needs oxygen. Step one: a change at GM.

The Interim Plan: Familiar Faces, Instant Stability

Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi are expected to elevate and co-pilot basketball ops in the short term. Smart move.

Finley is Dallas royalty. Former All-Star, assistant GM since forever, respected in every hallway from the practice facility to the owner’s suite. He helped pick Harrison and Jason Kidd back in 2021 and brings instant credibility with fans and players. If you want calm after a storm, Finley is chamomile tea.

Riccardi has quietly become the front office’s clearest communicator. After the press-conference fiasco, he stepped out front doing pods, videos, and even representing Dallas in the lottery room when the Mavs snagged #1 overall (hello, Cooper Flagg). He talks like a modern exec: candid, coherent, and actually explains the plan.

Together, they buy Dallas time to run a real search while keeping day-to-day decisions competent and transparent.

The Big Board: Top Candidates to Replace Nico Harrison

Mark Cuban (The Overseer Option)

No, he’s not going to call himself “GM.” But with ~27% ownership and two decades of guiding Mavs hoops, including the 2011 title, Mark Cuban re-emerging as a president/overseer is very real. Under Harrison, Cuban’s voice faded. With Harrison out, Cuban’s return to strategy, paired with a hands-on GM for grind work, could be the “back to basics” reset. He knows the culture, understands the fans, and can steady the brand overnight. The question: Does he want the daily smoke again, and how much leash will Dumont give him?

Michael Finley (The Culture Pick)

If the interim stint hums, Finley is the most seamless full-time hire. He’s lived both eras (Cuban’s and Harrison’s), understands the roster’s strengths/holes, and brings player empathy to tricky negotiations. Fan buy-in would be instant. Also, he reportedly wasn’t gung-ho about moving Luka in the first place, file that under “judgment you can sell.”

Matt Riccardi (The Modernizer)

If Dallas wants a communicator-in-chief who blends scouting chops with data-fluent team-building, Riccardi is the inside-track disruptor. Ownership trusts him; media and fans already see him as the “voice” of the room. He’d prioritize clarity (a missing ingredient lately), modern cap maneuvering, and a cleaner pick pipeline. Younger profile, less celebrity, but substance speaks.

Dennis Lindsey (The Grown-Up In The Room)

The ex-Jazz GM advised Dallas during its surge to the 2024 Finals and earned internal fans. Now in Detroit’s front office, he’d require title/permission gymnastics, but Lindsey brings 50-win habits and sober talent evaluation. If Dallas wants a “get it right, right now” adult, this is that archetype.

Bob Myers (The Dream Hire)

Four rings in the Golden State, two Executive of the Year awards, and elite people skills. He’s currently enjoying a broader, less grindy role at HBSE. If he ever wants the chair again, he picks his team, not vice versa. Dallas will (and should) make the call. Long shot, franchise-changer if it happens.

Masai Ujiri (The Big-Game Hunt)

Architect of Toronto’s 2019 title, global footprint, fearless when the move is there (hello, Kawhi). The Raptors era has cooled lately, and stylistically, some of the “long athletes, light on shooting/playmaking” issues mirror Dallas’ current build. Contract, control, and compensation make this complicated. Intriguing? Absolutely. Likely? Tougher.

David Griffin (The PR-Savvy Champ)

Ring in Cleveland, solid drafting in New Orleans, comfortable with cameras and crises, David Griffin could reset Dallas’ public tone Day 1. He’s a free agent, which helps. If the Mavs prioritize a grown communicator who can also construct a playoff roster, Griffin checks boxes.

Bonus Rumor: Jason Kidd to the Front Office?

There’s chatter about Kidd sliding upstairs. It’s unconventional and would require a new HC instantly. He’s a sharp basketball mind, but with coaching scrutiny already high, this feels like smoke more than a plan.

The Roster Puzzle the New GM Inherits

Anthony Davis: aging, banged up, massive salary. Is he a trade chip, an anchor, or a bridge vet?

Cooper Flagg: 18-year-old franchise reset button. Surround him with skill, spacing, and teachers, not just vertical wings.

Draft Capital: thin until 2031 thanks to deals past; you’ll need creativity to pick swaps, distressed assets, and second-apron arts and crafts.

Identity: The post-Luka pivot became “size and defense.” It needs balance. Shooting and a genuine on-ball creator are must-haves if Davis stays or clean out the lane if you go all-in on Flagg’s on-ball timeline.

What’s Next For the Dallas Mavericks After Nico Harrison’s Firing?

First, breathe. Finley + Riccardi stabilize the controls. Expect cleaner messaging, fewer mixed signals, and decisions that make sense on a whiteboard and in a locker room.

Second, the calendar is ruthless. The February trade deadline isn’t waiting. Whoever gets the job (or if the interim duo keeps authority through February) has to thread a tricky needle:

Decide Anthony Davis’ fate. If the medicals and fit don’t scream “contender,” explore value now before he depreciates further. Build a Flagg runway. Think structure, skill, and patience: a spread floor, a veteran PG tutor, and wings who shoot and cut. Re-arm the asset cabinet. Swap redundancy for picks or pick-equivalents, find teams desperate for size, and be the third team in other people’s blockbusters.

Repair the fan bond. Transparency isn’t a slogan; it’s a practice. Post-game availability. Real answers. Less spin, more plan. Finally, keep the legends close. Dirk doesn’t need a title to help. Empower him and other icons in visible advisory roles. This market loves its heroes. Use that.

No matter who takes the chair, the mandate is the same: make the cap sheet flexible, make the offense coherent, and make the fans feel heard.

The Nico Harrison era began with big swings and ended with a bigger reckoning. Dallas isn’t just replacing a GM; it’s rehabbing an identity. Go modern, go honest, and go fast. With Cooper Flagg in the building and a fanbase desperate to believe again, this hire isn’t a press release; it’s a pivot point.

If the Mavericks get it right, 2025 will be remembered not for the trade that broke them, but for the decision that rebuilt them.