BOSTON – For using his expertise to build a team in rapid-fire fashion that reached the NBA Finals this season, Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico
Harrison has been rewarded with a multi-year contract extension, which he signed on Tuesday.
“Nico Harrison has demonstrated his leadership and capabilities in the Dallas Mavericks organization,” Dallas Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont said. “His vision, along with his efforts on behalf of our players and staff have propelled our team to two playoff appearances in three seasons and of course this year’s NBA Finals.
“We are proud to have him as part of our team for the long term, and we are excited to watch him continue to build on the foundation of success he has helped establish.”
Hired by former Mavs governor Mark Cuban, Harrison joined the Mavs on June 28, 2021. In addition to this year’s success, under Harrison’s tutelage the Mavs also advanced to the Western Conference Finals in his first season running the team’s basketball operations.
“I am incredibly grateful to Patrick and the entire Dumont and Adelson family for their continued trust and confidence and to Mark for his willingness to hire an unconventional candidate,” Harrison said. “Patrick and his family have accepted me as their own from day one and I am honored to work alongside them, as well as (Mavs coach) Jason Kidd, as we continue to build a winning culture in Dallas.”
Just in the past year alone, Harrison secured four players who comprise four-fifths of the Mavs’ starting lineup when they open the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at TD Garden. That includes re-signing guard Kyrie Irving to a free agent contract, signing forward Dereck Jones Jr. to a free agent contract, and also pulling off a pair of crucial trades this past Feb. 8 that brought in Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington.
Harrison also executed last summer’s draft-day trade which brought prized backup center Dereck Lively II and forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper to the Mavs, in addition to signing guard Dante Exum to a free agent contract. Harrison also oversaw the record-setting rookie supermax extension point guard Luka Doncic signed in August of 2021.
“I think it’s great,” Kidd said, referring to Harrison’s contract extension. “When you talk about Cuban’s vision of hiring Nico and myself, he should get credit for that, and also for Patrick to come behind that and give us a new deal. We’re grateful for that.”
Washington, who hails from Frisco, is particularly pleased Harrison was able to make the trade that brought him back home and closer to his family.
“He’s just doing his job at a very high level,” Washington said. “Nico is a great guy. I’ve been knowing him since high school.
“When I got here it was all a family atmosphere and I felt comfortable to be able to talk to him about anything. He makes us all feel comfortable and he’s doing a great job at that, too.”
Kidd, who signed a multi-year contract extension of his own on May 6, said it’s a bonus that the Mavs were able to give Harrison his flowers since he was the architect who built the integral parts of this team.
“We still know there’s a lot of work to be done, but that’s a compliment to be able to get a new deal,” Kidd said. “That reassures that we’re doing something right.
“But we understand there’s still a lot of work to be done, and that’s to win a championship, and we have an opportunity against the Celtics to do that. Hopefully, we can. But if not, we continue to keep pushing forward, being steady and keep building a championship organization.”
X: @DwainPrice
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