Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd believes the dismissal of general manager Nico Harrison on Tuesday will improve the atmosphere at American Airlines Center, where fans had routinely chanted “Fire Nico” since Harrison traded franchise star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in February.
“We can only hope we don’t have to go through that again,” Kidd told reporters before Wednesday’s game against the Phoenix Suns. “The guys are playing hard. They’re trying to win. The fans got their point across, but we have to move forward.”
Kidd reminded the media that last spring Dallas reached the play-in tournament despite suiting up just eight players on many nights. The roster is once again depleted: Anthony Davis missed his seventh consecutive game Wednesday with a strained left calf, and Kyrie Irving is still rehabbing a torn ACL. “We’ve got over $100 million in contracts sitting on the sideline, and we’re still competing,” Kidd said.
Confidence in Finley and Riccardi
With Harrison out, the Mavericks assigned front-office duties to Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi on an interim basis. Kidd voiced full support for the pair. “It’s about getting back to X’s and O’s and competing,” he said. “We believe Riccardi and Fin can do a good job, and they will do a good job.”
Players React to Harrison’s Exit
Forward P.J. Washington, whose arrival alongside Daniel Gafford at the 2024 trade deadline helped spark Dallas’s run to the NBA Finals, said he appreciated Harrison’s faith in the team. “I thanked Nico for what he did for me,” Washington said. “He believed in this group. So do I.”
Injury Updates
Kidd reported positive workouts for Davis, Irving and rookie center Dereck Lively II, noting that all three are “working extremely hard” to return to game action.
The Mavericks entered Wednesday’s contest against Phoenix trying to steady themselves in the Western Conference while awaiting the return of their injured stars and the resolution of their front-office search.
Source: Hoops Rumors
