Nico Harrison's Mavericks tenure will be defined by the one(s) who got away

In the closing seconds of the Mavericks' loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 10, PJ Washington stood at the free-throw line with the chance to tie the game and potentially send it to overtime. After Washington converted the first one, the second one clanked off the front of the rim. Fans in attendance immediately broke out into a "Fire Nico" chant as Washington took his third free throw, which he also missed. The Mavericks recorded their eighth loss on the season and the frustrations with the team's roster and front office impossible to ignore.

Less than 24 hours after those chants rang down on Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison as he sat in attendance for the game, he's now out of a job. Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont said in a statement that the decision was made in part to show the team's commitment to "building a championship-caliber organization, one that delivers for our players, our partners, and most importantly, our fans."

It's a decision that was a long time coming, nine months in the making since Harrison executed what is undoubtedly the worst trade in NBA history. Trading Luka Dončić to the Lakers for a package that centered around Anthony Davis on Feb. 2 not only shocked the NBA or sports world but became a talking point beyond that. Even Southwest Airlines took a jab at the Mavericks in a post about ending their free checked bag policy: "It's not like we traded Luka..." read the announcement.

Harrison's name will forever be synonymous with a trade so unfavorable that fans began protesting outside the arena as soon as news broke. But his legacy will be explained by all the players he traded -- or let walk -- in the lead up to the Dončić trade.

1. Kristaps Porziņģis

The first splash that Harrison made after he was hired in June 2021 came eight months later when he traded Kristaps Porziņģis to the Washington Wizards for Spencer Dinwiddie, Davis Bertans and Dallas' own future second-round pick. Porziņģis' tenure with the Mavericks was a lopsided one, but there were genuine bright spots with him and Dončić on the floor together. They were dream pick-and-roll partners thanks to Porziņģis' ability to pop out for a jumper, roll to the rim for a lob or just provide a solid screen for Dončić to create space. 

The issue often centered around Porziņģis' health, but two years after that deal, he became a champion with the Boston Celtics. We can look back on that deal and say, OK, Harrison was smart to make that trade because the Mavericks made it to the Western Conference finals that season. But at the time, the return made it confusing. Bertans was racking up DNP-CD's in between utterly horrible shooting performances (31.9% from 3-point range). Dinwiddie was a high usage, low efficiency guard who was causing friction in the Wizards' locker room.

In the end, things didn't turn out too bad with this deal, but little did we know it would give Harrison a level of confidence that made him think every decision he made was the right one.

2. Jalen Brunson

Aside from trading Dončić, this is without a doubt Harrison's most egregious transaction. Just two months after making the Western Conference finals in 2022, the Mavericks made the incredibly confusing decision to allow Brunson to walk to the New York Knicks for nothing in return. Never mind the fact that Brunson carried the Mavericks when Dončić was sidelined for a portion of the first round against the Jazz. Harrison felt fine letting Brunson walk to the Knicks. The same Brunson who has since become a bonafide All-Star and MVP candidate and took the Knicks to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years last season.

The most confounding part of the Brunson situation? If the Mavericks had no intention on keeping him, why not trade him to get something in return? It's on the record that Brunson was willing to take a substantially cheaper deal prior to the start of the season, and again in January 2022 with the hopes of remaining in Dallas long term. Mavericks brass declined and have had to watch Brunson blossom into one of the best guards in the league.

The Mavericks once looked like geniuses when they managed to draft both Dončić and Brunson in the same class. That praise quickly turned into admonition after Brunson bolted for the Knicks. Harrison isn't the sole person responsible here; previous owner Mark Cuban also shares some blame in being arrogant in thinking there was no way Brunson would leave them. But, again, if the plan was to never re-sign Brunson, Harrison should have traded him at peak value and gotten something in return.

3. Luka Dončić

I'll keep this short. You don't trade a perennial All-Star in the beginning of their prime for a soon-to-be 33 year old who has durability issues. You also don't make that trade and only net one first-round pick in return. That second part is more egregious than the first. You could talk me into an deluded reality in which a roster featuring Davis and Kyrie Irving is better than one led by Dončić, who just eights months prior to the trade led you to the NBA Finals. That roster is probably pretty good if you're playing 2K with injuries turned off. But we live in this reality, where both Davis and Irving are in their early-to-mid thirties, have long histories of injuries and, oh, neither of them are Luka Dončić.

Nico Harrison was done with the Mavericks the day he traded Luka Dončić; he just didn't know it

Brad Botkin

At best, Davis and Irving are two of the greatest Robins in NBA history. Both were the perfect No. 2 options next to LeBron James' Batman on championship teams. Both have experience in trying to be "the guy." Neither has had success in that role. Sure, Dončić is an unreliable defender even on the biggest stage and he complains to officials and he likes his hookah and beer like any regular 25-year-old dude. But that poorly conditioned 25 year old would still show up the next day and drill a game-winner en route to a 35-point performance.

Dončić has been more durable than Davis, is leading the league in scoring (37.1) and has the Lakers out to a 5-2 start. He used the summer to focus on his diet and conditioning and is one of the frontrunners for MVP. Trading him for essentially a bag of Skittles and a lottery ticket should get you fired immediately. It took nine months for the Mavericks to figure that out.

4. Quentin Grimes

Two days after making the worst trade in NBA history, Harrison lined up another stinker that often goes unnoticed. Grimes became a surprise contributor last season while Dončić was rehabbing from a calf strain. He had a few 20-point outings, but it was his effort on defense that made him essential in Dončić's absence. You know, the thing in which Harrison staked his entire career on by proclaiming "defense wins championships" after the Lakers trade? Grimes was an efficient shooter, could get to the rim and provided some necessary perimeter defense.

Then Harrison traded him -- and a second-round pick -- to the 76ers in exchange for Caleb Martin. Since joining the Mavericks, Martin has appeared in just 23 games and is shooting an atrocious 23.8% from 3-point range. Meanwhile, in the immediate aftermath of the deal, Grimes went on to average over 20 points a game with Philadelphia, and this season looks like a frontrunner for Sixth Man of the Year.

Grimes is the type of player who the Mavericks are quite literally desperate for right now: someone who can penetrate the defense, catch and shoot 3s and defend. Grimes would be killing it right now in Dallas with Irving out. Instead, the Mavs are forcing their 18-year-old No. 1 overall pick to play point guard despite no prior experience.

The Dončić trade was the straw that broke the camel's back for Harrison, but he's made several questionable decisions during his tenure. Any one of these moves would've gotten a general manager fired. But it took multiple missteps, an ownership change, a sellout streak ending and an incredibly vocal fanbase for Harrison to lose his job.