The Dallas Mavericks fell short of their championship expectations last season, despite making their first NBA Finals appearance in 13 years. While many fans hoped the team would build on that success and return to the Finals, general manager Nico Harrison had a different vision for the franchise’s future. His bold strategy began with a shocking decision to trade away franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic.
The move brought heavy backlash from fans and analysts alike. However, Harrison remained undeterred by the criticism and continued to reshape the organization according to his long-term plan.
On Wednesday, Harrison initiated another significant change, and this time he targeted the team’s health and performance department. Among those dismissed were Keith Belton, the team’s athletic performance director, and Dionne Calhoun, the head athletic trainer.
Sources: Mavericks GM Nico Harrison is making major changes to the team’s health and performance group again. Among the dismissals: athletic performance director Keith Belton, Harrison’s hire last summer; and head athletic trainer Dionne Calhoun.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) May 7, 2025
Belton had only been hired last summer. But the team’s consistent health issues likely played a major role in his decision to part ways with Belton after just one year.
Calhoun’s dismissal marks the end of a long tenure with the Mavericks. He first joined the franchise in 2004 as an assistant athletic trainer and was promoted to head athletic trainer in 2019. Calhoun was one of the last remaining members from the staff of former head trainer Casey Smith.
Nico Harrison Overlooked In NBA Executive Of The Year Voting
Sam Presti of the Oklahoma City Thunder was officially named the NBA’s Executive of the Year on Tuesday. He led the voting with ten first-place selections. Following closely behind was Cleveland Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman, who finished as the runner-up in the voting.
Meanwhile, Nico Harrison came again into the spotlight. Despite being at the center of several bold moves over the past season, Harrison did not receive any votes, not even a third-place mention in the Executive of the Year balloting.
Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison did not receive any votes for NBA Executive of the Year. pic.twitter.com/038e6vznHV
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) May 6, 2025
This lack of recognition isn’t entirely shocking to many observers, especially given the controversial decision to trade away Doncic. The move drew widespread criticism, and the Mavericks’ performance after the trade didn’t help Harrison’s case. Dallas ultimately failed to make the playoffs after falling short in the Play-In Tournament.
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