Another cold-blooded Nico Harrison move drove Dirk…
The Luka Doncic commerce was not a standalone occasion of Mavericks basic supervisor Nico Harrison betraying these within the group.
According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and a long listing of Mavericks sources who chimed in to him, the drama within the franchise dates all the way in which back to August 2023, when Harrison fired a longtime Mavericks staffer, Casey Smith, who was close with each Dirk Nowitzki and Doncic.
But it wasn’t simply that Harrison let go a trusted member of the group, he did so whereas Smith was out of the state tending to his gravely sick mom within the remaining weeks of her life.
Nico Harrison has been the Mavericks basic supervisor since 2021. IMAGN IMAGES through Reuters Connect
With Smith being in his hometown in Ohio and Harrison being back in Dallas, the previous wasn’t capable of meet in individual, resulting in Harrison setting up a call during which he fired Smith — seemingly out of nowhere.
Smith labored for the Mavericks for almost 20 years — he started because the Mavericks’ head athletic coach in 2004 earlier than making his means up to Dallas’ director of health and efficiency years later.
Nowitzki, who’s extensively thought-about the best Maverick of all time, credited Smith for contributing so considerably to the German large man’s prolonged 21-year profession. Nowitzki thought-about Smith to be one of his best buddies.
Since Smith’s firing, Nowitzki has been noticeably distant from the Mavericks.
Dirk Nowitzki was in attendance for Luka Doncic’s first recreation with the Lakers. NBAE through Getty Images
He’s attended simply two NBA video games for the reason that blockbuster commerce Harrison executed at this yr’s deadline: Doncic’s first as a Laker and the Slovenian star’s first recreation back in Dallas.
Nowitzki additionally used to regularly attend practices and supply staff enter, however opted to no longer be concerned within the interior workings of basketball operations after Smith’s firing.
“Over the past year, you could already see the team heading in a different direction,” Nowitzki mentioned in German lately on the “Campus 41” podcast. “Now we’re seeing the result of that.”
Dirk Nowitzki and Luka Doncic performed collectively for one season in Dallas. Anthony J Causi/NY Post
Doncic was extensively anticipated to be the one to dethrone Nowitzki as the best Maverick of all time and was additionally close with Smith — he was one of the few Mavericks workers members who was capable of join with Doncic when he got here to Dallas from Europe as simply a teenager.
Harrison reasoned the firing by saying that Smith was “too negative,” which many within the staff interpreted as Harrison wanting more of a “yes-man” within the function.
“[Harrison] was 100 percent threatened by [Smith],” a source advised ESPN. “[Harrison’s] going to show that [he’s] in charge and nobody else can question that.”
Luka Doncic was traded out of nowhere by Nico Harrison and the Mavericks. NBAE through Getty Images
Harrison, who traded Doncic on account of his frustrations with the celebrity’s conditioning, believed that Smith was an “enabler” of Doncic.
“You bringing up Casey [Smith] is like almost, it’s kind of a joke,” Harrison mentioned final week. “Last year, Casey wasn’t around, and we made it to the Finals. No one brought up Casey last year. So, to bring him up this year doesn’t really make sense. He’s been away for two years. So it’s — I’m not even going to comment on that.”
Nico Harrison has fallen out of favor amongst these in Dallas. AP
Smith now works with the Knicks as their vice president of sports activities medication, reuniting him with former Maverick Jalen Brunson.
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