Dallas Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont reportedly shifts stance on GM Nico Harrison

The Dallas Mavericks had a very disappointing season. They traded Luka Doncic, then the team ran into a brutal injury streak. As a result, their performance dropped quickly. The Mavericks could not recover and got eliminated by the Memphis Grizzlies in the play-in. This collapse sparked heavy criticism. Many blamed General Manager Nico Harrison for the team’s downfall. Even, reports suggest that team owner Patrick Dumont also changed his stance on Harrison.

“Dumont no longer sees Harrison as a figure with irreproachable basketball expertise. Most notably, team and league sources say, Dumont has had frustration with Harrison not warning him — or, perhaps even more damningly, being unaware — of the fandom’s outrage following the trade,” reported Tim Carto of DLLS Sports.

After this, we can say that Patrick fully trusted Nico Harrison’s ideas. He supported him almost without hesitation. However, none of those ideas caused as much uproar as the trade involving Luka Doncic. Fans strongly disagreed with the decision and made their voices heard.

Harrison addressed the controversy in a press conference stating that he did not realize how important Doncic was to the fans. That comment did not go over well with the team’s owner. It showed a clear disconnect and being unaware of such a crucial detail was a serious mistake.

General Manager Nico Harrison of the Dallas Mavericks walks off the court after warmups before the Dallas Mavericks take on the Utah Jazz in Game Five of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Center on April 25, 2022 in Dallas, Texas.

Despite this report, Nico Harrison says he is confident the team will compete next season. He believes it strongly because ‘defense wins championships.’ Still, the Mavericks did not have many chances to develop their game this year. Anthony Davis got injured early. Not long after, Kyrie Irving went down too. That limited their ability to build chemistry and consistency.

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Mavericks GM Nico Harrison makes bold statement on Luka Doncic’s championship potential

If the Mavericks win the NBA title, the constant criticism against him could finally stop. But until that happens, Harrison will continue to face pressure. His image in Dallas remains under fire.

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd frustrated with team front office over their decisions

Jason Kidd entered this NBA season with high expectations. He had just come off one of his best coaching years. He built a strong team around Luka Doncic and turned the Mavericks into a serious contender. However, things changed quickly. The core of his project shifted, and he lost control over key roster changes. Now with Mavericks season out, Kidd frustrations with the team front office are starting to surface.

According to Tim Carto, head coach Jason Kidd was not happy with the decision to trade Luka Doncic mid-season. He agreed with some of the reasons behind the move. However, he felt blindsided by the timing. Kidd also believed he was asked to overhaul the team’s entire system with the season already in progress. A lot was on the line, and the margin for error was small.