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Mavericks rumors: Staff purge shows Nico Harrison still has owner’s support

Originally posted on NBA on ClutchPoints
By Jackson Stone | Last updated May 11, 2025 1:20 PM ET

Recently, Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison made his first big move of the offseason by purging multiple members of the team’s athletic performance staff, including athletic performance director Keith Pelton and head athletic trainer Dionne Calhoun. The move comes just months after Harrison shockingly decided to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in the most widely-criticized deal in NBA history.

Recently, NBA insider Marc Stein broke down why these latest moves indicate that Harrison still has the support of the Mavericks’ ownership.

“The moves were the latest suggestion that Harrison, at least to this point, has retained sufficient support from new Mavericks majority owner Patrick Dumont to carry on as the head of Dallas’ basketball operations despite the ongoing loud dismay emanating from many Mavericks fans — now at three months and counting — in the wake of the Dončić deal,” reported Stein on his Substack.

As for the firings of members of the training staff, Stein reported about how the team’s handling of Dereck Lively II’s injury this season caused “significant tensions within the Mavericks’ medical department, including a notable blowup over the handling of the injury between Belton and director of player health and performance Johann Bilsborough, who also just completed his first season in Dallas.”

Not great news for Mavericks fans

Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd reacts during the third quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Almost immediately after the Doncic trade in earlier February, fans began chanting “Fire Nico” at Mavericks home games in an attempt to voice their displeasure to ownership.

The only problem was that ownership, led by the Dumont family, seemed to be fully onboard with Harrison’s decision, with some even speculating that it was their idea originally, and Harrison was just being painted as a “fall guy” of sorts.

Whatever really occurred, one thing that can’t be denied is that the Mavericks ended up missing the playoffs altogether in the wake of the Doncic deal and are now staring down a 2025-26 season in which Kyrie Irving will miss significant time while recovering from his torn ACL.

Nico Harrison probably shouldn’t expect the derogatory chants to die down anytime soon.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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