The NBA world is in shock after Dallas Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison pulled off a massive trade, sending superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis. It’s a bold move by Harrison, who has quickly built a reputation for taking risks.
But who exactly is Harrison, and how did he become one of the most important decision-makers in the NBA?
The Mavericks GM was born on December 28, 1972, in Seattle, Washington. He played college basketball, first at Army and later at Montana State University, where he made a big impact. Over three seasons (1993–1996), Harrison averaged 12.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. His strong performance earned him First Team All-Big Sky honors three times. He was also a brilliant student, winning the Arthur Ashe Jr. Scholar-Athlete award twice.
After college, Harrison played professional basketball overseas in Belgium, Japan, and Lebanon before retiring in 2001. Even though he never made it to the NBA as a player, his understanding of the game would later help him in his front-office career.
In 2002, he got a job at Nike as a regional field representative. Over time, he climbed the ranks and eventually became Vice President of North American Basketball Operations. During his 19 years at Nike, he worked closely with some of the biggest names in basketball, including Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Dirk Nowitzki. His ability to connect with players earned him a lot of respect in the basketball world.
However, not everything went smoothly. Harrison was involved in one of Nike’s biggest mistakes, a failed pitch to Stephen Curry in 2013. The wrong PowerPoint presentation was used, and Curry’s name was mispronounced, leading him to sign with Under Armour instead. Despite this setback, Harrison remained an important figure at Nike, and NBA teams took notice.
For years, he turned down multiple job offers from NBA teams. But in 2021, Mark Cuban and the Mavericks convinced him to leave his dream job at Nike for a new challenge.
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Since becoming President of Basketball Operations and GM on June 28, 2021, Harrison has been aggressive in rebuilding and strengthening the Mavericks’ roster.
In 2022, he traded Kristaps Porzingis for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans, a deal that helped Dallas reach the Western Conference Finals.
In 2023, he made a blockbuster trade for Kyrie Irving, giving up Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, and draft picks, a risky move that paid off when Irving signed a three-year, $126 million deal and led the team to the NBA Finals.
Harrison strengthened the roster at the 2024 trade deadline by acquiring P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford, who became key starters. He also succeeded in the draft, selecting Dereck Lively II, a defensive anchor crucial to the team’s finals run last year.
But by far, Harrison’s most shocking and controversial move was trading Doncic to the Lakers for Davis. The deal, finalized after weeks of talks with Lakers GM Rob Pelinka, has left many in disbelief.
By bringing in Davis, a dominant two-way player, Harrison is betting that defense and size will give Dallas a better shot at winning a championship. However, trading away Doncic for Davis, a generational talent with career averages of 28.6 points, 8.3 assists, and 8.7 rebounds per game, is a move that could have both negative and positive impacts on Nico Harrison’s legacy in Dallas.