When Nico Harrison took over as the Dallas Mavericks GM, there was optimism that his connections and fresh perspective could elevate the franchise. Instead, his tenure has been a masterclass in mismanagement, capped off by the unthinkable trade of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for an injury-prone Anthony Davis and a role player in Max Christie.
The fallout was immediate and brutal—Mavs fans rioted, the roster looks to be collapsed, and the franchise’s future now looks bleak. But the Luka deal was only the latest disaster in a string of moves that have turned Dallas into a league-wide punchline.
From giving away Jalen Brunson for nothing to letting key role players walk without a fight, Harrison’s decisions have been baffling at best and franchise-crippling at worst.
Here’s a timeline of every catastrophic move Harrison has made, proving why he might just be the worst GM in NBA history.
2022 – Kristaps Porzingis: 3-Team Trade To Wizards For Bag Of Chips
Trade Details
Dallas Mavericks Received: Spencer Dinwiddie, Davis Bertans
Washington Wizards Received: Kristaps Porzingis, Vernon Carey, Ish Smith, 2022 Second-Round Pick, Cash Considerations
Charlotte Hornets Received: Montrezl Harrell
Phoenix Suns Received: Aaron Holiday
The first major red flag in Nico Harrison’s tenure came with this puzzling move. Kristaps Porzingis, despite his injury history, was a legitimate second option next to Luka Doncic, averaging 20.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game over three seasons with the Mavs.
Instead of maximizing his value, Harrison flipped him for Spencer Dinwiddie, who was inconsistent at best, and Davis Bertans, whose 5-year, $80 million contract was one of the worst in the league considering his limitations as a player.
Porzingis went on to rejuvenate his career with the Celtics, playing a crucial role in their 2024 championship run with his elite rim protection and three-point shooting. Meanwhile, the Mavs struggled to find a reliable second option for Luka, exposing the first of many missteps by Harrison.
The trade did nothing but clog the Mavs’ cap space and diminish their on-court production. Bertans was glued to the bench for most of his Dallas stint, and while Dinwiddie had his moments, he was never the consistent No. 2 or No. 3 scorer the team desperately needed. This move not only weakened Dallas’s roster but also set the stage for the frustration that would lead to Luka Doncic’s shocking departure.
2022 Offseason – Jalen Brunson: Letting A Superstar Walk For Nothing
Move Details
Signed with: New York Knicks (4-year, $156.5 million)
In his most unforgivable move other than the Luka trade, Harrison allowed Jalen Brunson to walk to the New York Knicks without even making a serious offer to keep him. Brunson, who had just averaged 21.6 points and 3.7 assists in the playoffs, proved his worth almost immediately.
However, Harrison did not feel Brunson was worth $100 million and he was wrong to let the dominant offensive player go to a major market for a salary that is now the biggest bargain in the league. Interestingly, Brunson left $113 million on the table with his deal with the Knicks for the team to build a contender around him.
Over the next two seasons in New York, Brunson blossomed into a superstar, earning All-NBA honors and leading the Knicks to back-to-back playoff appearances. Brunson is averaging 26.1 points and 7.4 assists per game in 2024-25 and is easily a top-five point guard in the NBA.
Looking back, his ability to run the offense and take pressure off Luka was irreplaceable, making his departure sting even more. The Mavs’ decision to let Brunson walk was a mistake, even though they did well to bring Kyrie Irving on board and that was a factor in their Finals run last year. That is shortsighted, however, since Irving won’t be able to replace that success without Luka Doncic by his side and he has now gone down with a serious-looking injury.
For a GM whose job was to build a contender around a generational talent, letting Brunson walk for nothing was a monumental failure considering how dominant the player has been since arriving in New York. Even if Irving was a major signing to replace him, not paying Brunson has to be considered a major mistake.
2023 Offseason – Derrick Jones Jr.: A Key Role Player Let Go
Move Details
Signed with: Los Angeles Clippers (3-year, $30 million)
Derrick Jones Jr. was never a star, but his impact on the Mavs’ Finals run in 2024 was undeniable as he averaged 9.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game in the playoffs while showing his versatility as a defender and rim-runner. As a versatile wing defender and lob threat, he played a crucial role in Dallas’s switch-heavy defense and transition offense.
Despite his contributions, Harrison let him walk to the Los Angeles Clippers in the offseason without making a competitive offer. The result? Dallas lost an elite athlete who can run and switch on defense, traits that are very important in today’s NBA.
Jones has thrived in Los Angeles, providing the Clippers with valuable minutes as a role player and solidifying their defense averaging a career-high 10.4 points per game along with 3.5 rebounds. For a Mavs team that desperately needed to keep their defensive core intact to run it back, losing Jones for nothing was yet another sign of Harrison’s ineptitude.
2025 – Luka Doncic: The Trade That Broke Dallas Forever
Trade Details
Dallas Mavericks Received: Anthony Davis, Max Christie, 2029 First-Round Pick
Los Angeles Lakers Received: Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris
This is the move that will forever define Nico Harrison’s tenure in Dallas — and not in a good way. Trading a 25-year-old superstar coming off a Finals run was baffling enough, but doing it for an injury-prone Anthony Davis and a role player in Max Christie was the kind of blunder that can cripple a franchise for a decade.
Very soon after Mavs fans went into a full-blown riot outside the American Airlines Center, Davis managed to play one half of basketball before suffering yet another injury. The trade was widely panned as one of the worst and most shocking in NBA history, and the Mavs’ fanbase has turned against Harrison almost immediately.
Luka, meanwhile, has thrived in Los Angeles, averaging 22.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists while leading the Lakers to the second seed in the Western Conference alongside LeBron James. Nico felt that Luka’s weight issues and conditioning would come back to haunt them, so he decided to send him to their Western Conference rival that has the best-conditioned athlete in NBA history. How does that make any sense?
The Mavs, on the other hand, have spiraled into chaos, lacking both a clear direction and the assets to rebuild quickly. The decision to trade Luka will haunt Dallas for years, and it’s hard to imagine a scenario where Harrison can ever redeem himself.
Amazingly, Nico’s apparent blunders have not stopped there, because there was one more mistake that has happened this season.
2025 – Quentin Grimes: The Shooter That Got Away
Trade Details
Dallas Mavericks Receive: Caleb Martin
Philadelphia 76ers Receive: Quentin Grimes, 2025 Second-Round Pick
Harrison’s obsession with acquiring injury-prone veterans struck again when he sent Quentin Grimes and a second-round pick to Philadelphia for Caleb Martin (who has only played 31 games this season). Grimes, a sharpshooter who had shown flashes of two-way potential, exploded for a career-high 44 points in a win against the Warriors just last weekend, displaying the kind of scoring punch and perimeter defense the Mavs desperately need right now.
His ability to stretch the floor and defend multiple positions would have been invaluable, especially with the roster now lacking perimeter shot-makers with Luka gone and Kyrie hurt. Grimes is 24 years old and a native Texan, while Martin is 29 and counting.
The irony is hard to miss: a team that could use offensive sparks from the perimeter gave away one of its best shooters for a veteran whose body might be beaten up after years of hard play with the Miami Heat. This trade was yet another reminder of Harrison’s shortsighted approach, prioritizing veterans over proven young talent.
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