Way before Harrison ever seriously considered trading Doncic earlier this season, he was apparently fixated on purging people and elements within the Mavericks organization that he felt "enabled" Dončić.
One of those people was Casey Smith, the Mavericks' former director of health and performance. Smith is credited as one of the folks who helped Dončić make a full-time transition into American culture as a native Slovenian, and someone the legendary Dirk Nowitzki,
who has unsurprisingly loosened his ties to the Mavericks recently, has praised for having helped extend his iconic NBA career. But Harrison reportedly felt "threatened" by Smith's influence inside the Mavericks' halls (given his pull with Dončić).
As a result, Harrison brashly fired him during the summer of 2023, months before the Mavericks would qualify for the 2024 NBA Finals. The awful kicker here? Harrison fired Smith over a
video call after Smith had told him he was visiting his terminally ill mother in Ohio.