- The Dallas Mavericks fired general manager Nico Harrison after a 3-8 start to the season.
- Harrison’s firing comes nine months after he traded Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers.
- The Mavericks are reportedly considering several candidates with ties to the franchise to fill the role.
The Dallas Mavericks saw enough.
The team fired former general manager Nico Harrison on Tuesday, Nov. 11, just nine months after he orchestrated the controversial trade that offloaded Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick.
So now the Mavericks, who have started the season 3-8, are stuck to sort through an uncertain future. And that task will fall primarily to the person the franchise opts to install in Harrison’s place.
To do that, rumblings coming out of Dallas indicate that the Mavericks may try to tap into their rich alumni network to fill the role.
Here are five candidates the Dallas Mavericks might target to replace Nico Harrison.
Michael Finley
Currently an assistant general manager and vice president of basketball operations with the Mavericks, Finley will be a co-interim general manager alongside fellow assistant GM Matt Riccardi. Finley, 52, is a two-time All-Star who played nine seasons (1996-2005) with the Mavericks.
Finley remains one of the Mavericks’ leaders in several statistical categories. Harrison did oversee Finley’s August 2021 promotion to his current role, so Finley will likely need to distance himself from the Dončić trade.
Matt Riccardi
The other co-interim who’s helping fill the void left by the Harrison firing, Riccardi will have a similar concern to Finley; if he wants to convince the Mavericks that he’s the best long-term option, Riccardi must similarly sell his case to ownership that he was against the Dončić deal.
Harrison also oversaw Riccardi’s hiring and eventual promotion, so Riccardi has similar ties to Harrison. Prior to taking a job with Dallas in August 2022 as senior director of pro personnel, Riccardi was with the Brooklyn Nets for 12 seasons, holding six different positions. He started as a team assistant in January 2010, working his way up to director of scouting operations and general manager of the Long Island Nets, the team’s G League affiliate.
Dennis Lindsey
A longtime NBA executive, Lindsey has held several roles with the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz, Mavericks and Detroit Pistons, where he currently serves as the senior vice president of basketball operations. Lindsey’s career spans back to 1996, when Houston hired him as a video coordinator and scout.
Eventually, Lindsey became the Rockets vice president of basketball operations and moved to Texas to a similar role.
He was San Antonio’s vice president and assistant GM for five seasons, and the Spurs made the playoffs each of those seasons, culminating in a pair of Western Conference finals appearances.
Lindsey was the Jazz general manager for seven seasons.
Ahead of the 2023-24 season, the year the Mavericks went to the NBA Finals, Dallas hired Lindsey as a senior advisor.
Jason Kidd
The current head coach of the Mavericks, Kidd is another former Mavericks player – and one who was actually teammates with Finley. Kidd has served as the Mavericks coach since 2021 and has compiled a 182-157 record (.537) with the team. Known as a coach who emphasizes communication and play-making from the point guard position, Kidd’s time as a 10-time All-Star indicates that he’s uniquely suited to understand the demands on star players.
Dončić thrived under Kidd, particularly during the 2023-24 season when Dallas went to the Finals. Dončić posted career high in points (33.9), assists (9.8) and rebounds (9.2) that season, finishing third in MVP voting.
Kidd was involved in player evaluation conversations with the Mavericks’ front office, so while this would indeed be a new role, he at least has some experience with personnel decisions.
Dirk Nowitzki
Hired as a special adviser to the Mavericks in June 2021, Nowitzki is arguably the most beloved Maverick of all time. A 14-time All-Star, one-time MVP and Hall of Famer, Nowitzki was the centerpiece of Dallas’ 2010-11 team that toppled the Miami Heat to win an NBA title.
Despite his deep ties to the Mavericks – Nowitzki played all 21 seasons of his NBA career in Dallas – would still be a rather unconventional hire. Although he’s plugged into the team, he has not served in any front office or talent evaluation role, other than his consulting gig with the team. Nowitzki is currently an analyst for Amazon Prime’s NBA studio show.