Ex-Mavericks GM Nico Harrison Placed Nikola Jokić and Jrue Holiday On Same Tier, Tried Trading 2 Firsts for Kyle Kuzma
In the wake of Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison’s long-anticipated firing on Tuesday, additional intel has continued to trickle out, shedding light on his questionable front-office tactics.
One eye-opening report highlighted Harrison’s longstanding difficulty gauging the worth of high-profile players, including Denver Nuggets three-time MVP Nikola Jokić.
Inside Nico Harrison’s Baffling Player Evaluation Process
The majority of the talk surrounding Harrison’s dismissal has centered on his stunning decision to ship then-25-year-old franchise cornerstone Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers for an Anthony Davis-centric package in early February. Fans never let him off the hook for the blunder, especially with Dallas getting off to an underwhelming, injury-plagued 3-8 start this season and stumbling to a 29th-ranked offensive rating (104.2).
However, Harrison, who had a knack for making daring trade deadline moves throughout his four-plus-year Mavericks tenure, may have made more polarizing deals if given the chance.
According to DLLS Sports’ Tim Cato’s Tuesday report, Harrison long displayed red flags since assuming his GM position in 2021, from his elusive communication with rival teams to his tendency to overvalue or undervalue certain players.
“There had always been signs that Harrison was underwater in his front office role. In the first years, front office executives around the league found it curious how difficult it was to reach him on the phone, league sources said, until more of those responsibilities were shifted to assistant general manager Matt Riccardi,” Cato wrote.
“Some trades were surprisingly pricy for the returns; others that likely would’ve been mistakes, like how Harrison attempted to deal two first-rounders for Kyle Kuzma, went unpunished despite Harrison’s best efforts.”
Giving up two first-rounders for Kuzma would’ve undoubtedly been a costly misstep, given the ninth-year forward’s waning production last season.
Fortunately for Mavericks fans, their team only had one offensive superstar with defensive shortcomings, as Harrison is said to have also misjudged the greatness of Dončić’s close friend, Jokić.
“One team source recalls a document where Harrison placed Jrue Holiday within the same tier of talent as Nikola Jokić,” Cato added.
“One team source recalls a document where Nico Harrison placed Jrue Holiday within the same tier of talent as Nikola Jokić.” 😳
(h/t @MavsFilmRoom) pic.twitter.com/DSe8HkWQQR
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) November 12, 2025
On top of being arguably the league’s best player and a nightly triple-double threat, Jokić has proven he can be the catalyst of an NBA championship squad, making him virtually untradeable. Conversely, Holiday was relegated to a complementary two-way role with the Boston Celtics over the previous two seasons, with the franchise moving on from the 35-year-old in a cost-cutting move over the summer.
Harrison’s inability to fully appreciate elite offensive talent as he prioritized a defensive-oriented team-building approach ultimately proved detrimental to Dallas, likely setting the organization back several years as it watches Dončić thrive in LA.
