Skip Bayless: Nico Harrison deserved to be ‘appluaded,’ not fired

Skip Bayless might not be working in the sports media mainstream anymore, but the Embrace Debate icon still knows how to deliver a hot take.

The Dallas Mavericks fired general manager Nico Harrison on Tuesday. The move comes as the new-look Mavericks have stumbled out of the gate to a 3-8 start.

His early tenure was marked mainly by success on the court, including runs to the 2022 Western Conference finals and the 2024 NBA Finals. However, when he shockingly traded All-NBA player Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers last season, fans turned on him and have never come back around, even after Dallas selected Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA Draft. The much-maligned pick was made all the worse, as Anthony Davis, the often-injured star Dallas received in return, has lived up to his reputation and been injured for most of his time with the team. Meanwhile, star guard Kyrie Irving suffered a torn ACL in early March and has no return timetable. What’s left of the Mavericks roster has been unable to compete, and all of that comes right back to the GM who set it in motion.

All of which is to say that not too many people were surprised or bothered by the news of Harrison’s firing. That is, except for Bayless.

Nico Should’ve Been Applauded For the Luka Trade, Not Fired pic.twitter.com/As04xaeVaN

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) November 11, 2025

“This is so dumb, so wrong, so ridiculously premature overreaction by this Dumont family that now owns and operates the Dallas Mavericks,” said Bayless in a seven-minute video posted to X. “Nico Harrison did not deserve to be fired. He deserved to be applauded for the team he has put together that hasn’t quite taken shape.”

Bayless went on to make his case for why the Mavericks are on the brink of greatness. He also tried to explain why the team was right to trade Dončić, who he says will return to his unhealthy ways and is a ballhog. Eventually, as expected, Skip’s rant also turned into a LeBron James-bashing session.

“I’m digging in on this,” he added. “Nico was right to trade Luka, and the Mavericks were very, very wrong to fire Niko. Someday, somewhere, somehow, you’ll look back at what happened with Nico, and you’ll grudgingly admit that he should be considered a hero instead of the villain.”

That last part sounds a little too much like what we imagine Skip says about himself when he’s lying in bed at night.