Dallas Mavericks' Nico Harrison Faces Job Heat

The Mavericks’ rocky start has turned a whisper into a question: after Friday’s 118-104 loss to Memphis, Dallas sits last in the West and ESPN’s Tim MacMahon called it “absolutely a legitimate question” whether Nico Harrison can keep his job. Harrison, who signed a multiyear extension in June, has faced the “Fire Nico” chorus since the Luka Dončić trade; league whispers and Marc Stein’s reporting that governor Patrick Dumont once stood by him no longer quiet the chatter as Dallas posts the NBA’s worst offense (103.2) despite a strong defense (sixth in rating). Merlin sees the pieces that could shift the tale — rookie Cooper Flagg’s growth and Kyrie Irving’s eventual return — but time is a clever enemy. If the offense doesn’t awaken soon, the extension may feel like a thin shield against a mounting narrative that “it is the first question that people are asking.”