Stephen A. Smith brings Nick Harrison, Anthony Davis and the Mavericks to the offense

The The Dallas Mavericks fired general manager Nick Harrison on Tuesday. It was the end of what had become a very bitter relationship that Harrison had with the franchise and Dallas fans. On Tuesday, the ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith condemned the franchise in Dallas all the consternation that caused fans.

Harrison was under fire from fans for the trade of Luka Doncic last season to the Los Angeles Lakers. In return, Dallas gained Anthony Davis. Smith said that Davis was average for Dallas, while Doncic is in LA

“If you’re trading Luka Doncic, you can’t go 3-8 on the season and Anthony Davis has already missed three games and has minimal impact on the success of the Dallas Mavericks,” Smith said on ESPN’s First Take. “Trade looks even more disastrous right now.”

.@stephenasmith reacts to the Dallas Mavericks trade of Nick Harrison 😳 pic.twitter.com/8dZ3rOvmUn

— First Take (@FirstTake) November 11, 2025

Harrison was greeted with “Fire Nico” chants Monday night at the team’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks. It turned out to be his last game as the club’s general manager. Harrison looked off into space as Mavericks fans erupted in chants.

“(Doncic) was your guy and he never wanted to leave and you pushed him through the door,” Smith said. “It’s unforgivable in a lot of people’s eyes. That’s why Nico Harrison left.”

Dallas is 3-8 on the season. The The Mavericks are moving fast to try to find a replacement for Harrison.

The Mavericks must now try to get the ship back on course

The Mavericks must now move forward with new leadership. While Dallas has a losing record this season, the club has a young star in rookie Cooper Flagg. Flagg has been the leader of the struggling Mavericks.

Dallas ownership and management will try to build the right pieces around Flagg. Smith said Dallas’ front office is also to blame for the Harrison debacle.

“Mavs ownership is more responsible for this than anybody,” Smith added of Harrison’s Doncic trade.

Not only do the Mavericks have to build a championship roster, but they also need to regain confidence among the fans. After Doncic’s trade almost a year ago, fans protested in front of the arena as well.

It hurt the fans even more to see Doncic is doing so well with his new team, the Los Angeles Lakers. This season, Dončić averages 37 points per game, and shoots close to 50 percent from the floor.

Dallas plays the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.