What Does Nico Harrison’s Firing Mean for Mark Cuban?

Nico Harrison’s exit from the Mavericks front office has led to speculation about one man thought to be exiled from the team’s basketball operations.

Where does Dallas minority owner Mark Cuban stand?

Cuban was seen leaving the floor at American Airlines Center alongside team governor Patrick Dumont after the Bucks beat the Mavericks to drop the team to 3–8 on Monday night. Harrison was fired on Tuesday morning.  

In the days since Harrison’s firing, reporting has trickled out that Cuban is back in the mix.

Cuban hired Harrison from Nike to be the team’s general manager in 2021, but lost his influence after he sold a majority stake in the Mavericks to the Adelson family in December 2023. In February, after the Mavericks stunningly traded Luka Dončić, Cuban told Front Office Sports he learned of the deal “just before it was announced.” 

Since then, he has been very critical of the organization, despite retaining a 27.7% stake in the franchise. Cuban said he “fully expected” to run the Mavericks basketball operations after the sale, but alleges the NBA wouldn’t let him put that in writing; commissioner Adam Silver has disputed Cuban’s account. 

It’s not clear to what degree Dumont is weighing Cuban’s advice now.

“It went from zero to something,” ESPN reporter Tim MacMahon said on the Hoop Collective Podcast on Wednesday of Cuban’s sway. “Exactly what something is I’m not sure. He’s no longer the world’s richest mascot only.”

After Harrison was fired, MacMahon reported that Cuban “has mapped out a plan for the front office’s future,” and “hopes” to hire former Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey to replace Harrison. (MacMahon has covered the team for ESPN for years.) MacMahon also reported that Cuban and Dumont “have been in frequent dialogue in recent months.” 

In an email to FOS, Cuban said, “[MacMahon] didn’t get that from me. I have no idea who made it up,” when asked to confirm the ESPN story. “I have not mapped out a plan for anything,” Cuban added. MacMahon declined to comment.

On Wednesday, The Athletic reported that Cuban has “made his case” to Dumont in recent months that Harrison’s leadership was hurting the Mavericks. 

Lindsey is Cuban’s “preferred choice,” according to The Athletic. 

Lindsey hails from Texas and is currently the Pistons’ senior vice president of basketball operations. He was also an advisor to the Mavericks in 2023–24, when the Mavericks won the Western Conference.