ESPN’s Tim MacMahon Updates Public With Nico Harrison News

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon recently updated the general public with Nico Harrison news. Harrison has been a hot-button topic since the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round draft pick. Here’s what MacMahon said in his recent update.

Tim MacMahon Updates the Public

Tim MacMahon can be described as a man of many words, and Wednesday’s post on X, formerly Twitter, was no exception. MacMahon wrote, “Sources: Mavericks GM Nico Harrison is making major changes to the team’s health and performance group again. Among the dismissals: athletic performance director Keith Belton, Harrison’s hire last summer; and head athletic trainer Dionne Calhoun.”

MacMahon added, “Calhoun was a 21-year team employee who was one of the final holdovers from Casey Smith’s staff. He was promoted to head athletic trainer in 2019. MacMahon continued, “I covered the turmoil within the Mavs’ health and performance group — dysfunction that did not involve Calhoun — and the massive impact it had on Dallas’ disappointing season in this story last month:” and added a link to a previous article for ESPN.

Tim MacMahon Provides Insight

Tim MacMahon might ruffle the feathers of the Dallas Mavericks’ world, along with the NBA world. However, MacMahon’s recent post on X arguably provided an ample amount of insight into the Mavericks’ back end. MacMahon previously covered the Mavericks, Dallas Cowboys, and Texas Rangers for The Dallas Morning News before joining ESPN in 2009.

After a disappointing 2024-25 NBA season, Nico Harrison fired multiple staffers, per MacMahon. Harrison’s latest round of firings signals a legitimate possibility that the Mavericks have been unsteady after — and perhaps before — the Luka Doncic trade. MacMahon previously reported that Harrison felt “threatened” by Casey Smith’s impact on the Mavericks before firing Smith in 2023.

Final Thoughts

It’s unclear if Nico Harrison’s recent firings show a sign of the times for the Dallas Mavericks or the start of a new beginning for the Mavericks. However, Harrison’s firings have been raising eyebrows surrounding Harrison and the Mavericks’ direction moving forward. The Mavericks’ 2024-25 season is over, but the chatter likely won’t slow down anytime soon.

The Mavericks arguably can’t rebuild right now. The Mavericks’ decision to trade Doncic is said and done, but the future might not be until at least three years from now, with the earliest in 2028. The Mavericks could become playoff contenders sooner rather than later, as Kyrie Irving is expected to return in January 2026, but Irving will be 35 and Anthony Davis will be 34 by then. A playoff-contending team with two players in their mid-30s is quite rare.