Former General Manager Nico Harrison and the Dallas Mavericks made the right call on letting a former player walk. Here’s why.
Harrison, Mavericks Made the Right Call
Harrison and the Mavericks made the right decision in letting veteran Guard Spencer Dinwiddie walk. Dinwiddie, 32, had his highs and lows with the Mavs.
Although the 32-year-old is a fan favorite, he’s now playing overseas — not a good sign if he would like to return to the NBA. His minutes in the Mavs’ rotation dwindled, and he appears to be persona non grata in the league. Harrison and the team’s decision to let him walk was necessary, as he sometimes tried to force shots that failed.
Harrison, Mavericks Outlook
Harrison, 52, and the Mavericks had a rocky working relationship in the final nine months of his tenure. The Washington-born, Oregon-raised former GM suffered blowback after the shocking Luka Doncic trade.
Although it’s unclear if he was the “fall guy” or not, the trade of Doncic, now 26, angered the majority of the Mavs fanbase. The final stages of his tenure arguably resembled Dinwiddie’s second stint with the Mavs. Both men’s decline was an issue, not only to them but also to the team.
Final Thoughts
Harrison isn’t perfect. Nobody’s perfect. However, he appeared to know that Dinwiddie’s time in Dallas was up.
Dinwiddie trailed the Mavericks’ depth chart, trailing even struggling sharpshooter Klay Thompson. Head Coach Jason Kidd was justified in playing young guards, such as Brandon Williams, Max Christie, and Ryan Nembhard. Being a fan favorite doesn’t equate to the on-court success of a team.
