Dallas Mavericks fans still haven’t forgotten the front office’s decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers last season, an observation that was made clear in the final minutes of Friday night’s 117-107 home loss to the Washington Wizards.
Mavericks fans call for general manager Nico Harrison’s job
Mavericks fans continue to call for general manager Nico Harrison to be fired.
“Fire Nico!” is a chant that has been heard at American Airlines Center since Doncic was traded on February 2, months after the homegrown superstar led Dallas to the 2024 NBA Finals.
Although the Mavericks won the draft lottery and selected No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg over the summer, the club is still struggling with the former Duke star and Anthony Davis.
After Dallas was beaten by the San Antonio Spurs by 33 points in Wednesday’s opener at home, the team lost by double digits to a Washington team coming off an 18-64 season.
Cooper Flagg chants “Fire Nico” at the end of tonight’s game:
“I’m just focused on the game, like I said, I’m not even hearing that. I’m listening to the coaches, I’m listening to the guys on the team, the veterans… I’m trying to tune out all that stuff.” pic.twitter.com/UeNHQo1pt8
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) October 25, 2025
Mavericks security still holds up “Fire Nico” sign to evict fans pic.twitter.com/oq809PEcqp
— Justin Graver (@titansfilmroom) October 23, 2025
“I think they have the right to vent, but they have to be patient [needed]”, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said. “This is a different team, this is a new team. We were just starting to get to know each other. We will continue to learn from each other. So I would say be patient, but I understand the frustration.
“We all want to win. We all want to compete at a high level, but this is a game of expression and fans have the right to express themselves. But that doesn’t stop us from going to work tomorrow and getting better and getting ready for the game.” [the next game]”.
No contract extension talks between Mavericks, Harrison
According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Kidd signed a multi-year contract extension during the preseason, shortly after the Mavericks rejected the New York Knicks’ permission to pursue Kidd for their head coaching vacancy this offseason.
Sources close to the team told McMahon, “There have been no discussions regarding an extension for Harrison, who has two years remaining on his contract,” he reported.
Flagg scored 11 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter and finished his game with five rebounds, six assists and five turnovers. He shot 6 of 14 from the field (42.9%) and 2 of 5 from 3-point range (40%).
“The fans showed up. They were so good tonight. I thought we played at a high level in the fourth quarter. A lot of things were right – shutting down the offense, playing the way we wanted to play, and that sums it up,” Flagg said.
“Tonight was just a period and we’ve got to be able to keep that going throughout the game. I think we took a step in the right direction, but it’s got to be a lot better.”
Anthony Davis not worried about 0-2 start
At the same time, Davis scored 27 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. The five-time All-NBA selection was 9-for-19 from the field (47.4 percent) and 9-for-12 from the free throw line (75 percent).
However, he also missed all four of his three-point attempts.
When asked about his level of concern after an 0-2 start, Davis said: “Zero.” He dismissed questions about how the Mavericks and Flagg would handle adversity, McMahon reported.
“This is adversity? What is adversity?” Davis said. “We have 80 games left. You can have 10 games in a row [wins] Then what? That’s how I see it, I’m sure he sees it that way, and that’s what we talked about. We know we have to do better on both ends of the floor, but the NBA season is a rollercoaster, so we’re staying positive. “
The Mavericks continue a six-game homestand against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.
