Nico Harrison Reportedly Blames Mark Cuban For Several Shocking Personnel Decisions in Dallas

Last season, the Dallas Mavericks made arguably the most shocking and controversial trade in NBA history when they parted ways with superstar guard and the face of the franchise, Luka Dončić. The move was widely criticized, with even former majority owner Mark Cuban questioning then-GM Nico Harrison for the decision to move a superstar of Dončić's caliber.

Despite landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft in Cooper Flagg, the damage was done for Harrison, as the team recently parted ways with him. It wasn't just the Dončić-for-Anthony Davis swap that ended Harrison's tenure in Dallas, but there were plenty of moves in recent years that all built up to the moment the organization moved on from him.

Now, according to some reports, Harrison blames Cuban for some of the decisions that were made regarding personnel, most notably the free agency departure of now-superstar guard Jalen Brunson.

“Harrison blamed Cuban for what he believed were the Mavs' biggest personnel mistakes during his tenure, which came in summer 2022: allowing Jalen Brunson to get away in free agency and trading for Christian Wood, a player Kidd didn't want to coach and resented having on the roster. Several members of the coaching staff and front office also faulted Cuban for those moves.”

That report comes from ESPN's Tim MacMahon, and while Harrison never publicly called out Cuban, it's clear that he was frustrated with the owner for his role in major decisions.

Ultimately, none of that matters now, as the team moved on from Harrison following the shocking trade, but if this was the fault of Cuban, perhaps the treatment of Harrison has been a little harsh from the fanbase in the wake of his firing.