NBA insider reveals how Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison alienated Dirk Nowitzki

The Dallas Mavericks got eliminated from NBA playoff contention in the Play-In Tournament, comfortably losing to the Memphis Grizzlies in their matchup for the 8th seed. This brought a tumultuous season to an end, one that saw Mavs GM Nico Harrison trade away franchise superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Dirk Nowitzki is the greatest Maverick of all time, he has his jersey in the rafters and a statue outside the arena. But in the aftermath of the Doncic trade, it became quite evident that the German is no longer involved with the franchise in a basketball sense. ESPN's Tim MacMahon has now revealed what transpired that caused Dirk to distance himself from the house he built.

Casey Smith had been the team's Head Athletic Trainer since 2004 and had also held the post of Director of Player Health and Performance since 2019. In late 2023, Harrison unceremoniously informed Smith that his services were no longer required.

Mar 9, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison (left) speaks with reporter Marc Stein (right) before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

"Harrison informed Smith that they needed to meet. Smith replied that it wasn't possible to meet in person; he had gone to his hometown in Ohio to be at the side of his gravely ill mother in the final weeks of her life. Harrison set up a video conference meeting instead," MacMahon wrote.

"Smith was then informed that his services in Dallas were no longer needed, ending a nearly two-decade tenure with the franchise. The reason for the dismissal centered on Smith being "too negative," according to sources briefed on the discussion who interpreted the vague reasoning to mean Smith wasn't enough of a yes-man."

This caused issues between Harrison and Luka while also negatively affecting relations with Nowitzki, reportedly becoming the trigger that caused the Hall of Famer to step away from the organization.

"Harrison's decision to fire Smith, and the way he did it, also drove Nowitzki away from the franchise that he proudly played for his entire career. Sources said Nowitzki, who describes himself as a "Mavs fan" now, opted to no longer be involved in the inner workings of the franchise's basketball operations after Smith's forced exit."

Dirk Nowitzki is everything to the Dallas Mavericks; he brought the franchise their only championship in 2011, while also winning an MVP, a Finals MVP, and being named to the All-Star team 14 times. The fact that he no longer associates with the organization is a terrible look for the Mavs.

'Fire Nico' chants at the Mavericks' home games already show how unpopular Harrison has become within the fanbase. This particular piece of reporting is likely to only make those feelings of animosity worse.

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