LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Nico Harrison, who oversaw the trade of Luka Doncic from Dallas to the Los Angeles Lakers, was fired Tuesday as general manager and president of basketball operations for the Mavericks.

Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont announced the move with the team off to a 3-8 start and fans chanting “Fire Nico” at every home game.

Slovenian superstar Doncic, a Dallas fan favorite, has helped revive the Lakers, joining Wilt Chamberlain as the only National Basketball Association (NBA) players to score at least 40 points in the first three games of a season.

The Mavs, meanwhile, have struggled with Kyrie Irving sidelined by a knee injury despite obtaining Anthony Davis in the trade and boasting 2025 NBA Draft top pick Cooper Flagg.

“This decision reflects our continued commitment to building a championship-caliber organization, one that delivers for our players, our partners, and most importantly, our fans,” Dumont said.

The Mavericks appointed vice president of player personnel Michael Finley and assistant general manager Matt Riccardi as co-interim general managers to oversee basketball operations.

Under Harrison’s guidance since taking over in June 2021, the Mavericks lost to Boston in the 2024 NBA Finals and dropped the 2022 Western Conference finals to Golden State.