Nico Harrison is in Dallas, now it’s time to pivot, build around Cooper Flagg

Nico Harrison is the general manager of the Dallas Mavericks – something that had to happen.

Not just because Luka Doncic solda top-five player in the world entering his prime, though it’s hard to imagine a more fireable attack for a GM. Furthermore, Harrison’s firing had to happen now to stop anything from happening. He had staked everything on the belief that giving up Doncic was the best thing for the franchise and had made the Mavericks contenders right now, behind Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, two championship players, but who are now older and with injury histories. Sure, Dallas now had #1 pick Cooper Flagg, but Harrison was all-in short term and winning now with these Mavericks, without thinking long term. Every move he would make would address the two- or three-year championship window he thought the team had. He would have extended Anthony Davis this summer. It would have trapped the team.

Dallas now has a chance to reset, but what comes next?

Find a new GM

Before choosing a direction, Dallas must choose its next decision maker.

In the short term, Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi will serve as interim general managers, the team announced. Finley was in the Mavericks’ front office for 11 seasons following his 15-year playing career. Riccardi has been in Dallas since 2022, coming from the Brooklyn Nets. Both are likely to be interviewed and are in the mix to get the full-time job.

One name immediately floating around — none other than former Mavericks owner Mark Cuban — is Dennis Lindsey. He spent seven seasons as general manager of the Utah Jazz and also worked in the front offices of Houston and San Antonio. He currently serves as senior vice president of basketball operations with the Detroit Pistons. Lindsey has experience in the role and knows Dallas, although how to get public support of Cuban games under the current ownership of the Mavericks is up for debate.

Another name to keep an eye on: Jason Kidd. He is currently the coach of the Mavericks, but since his time in Brooklyn it has been no secret in league circles that he would eventually like to end up in the front office, putting together a team. Kidd has a strong relationship with governor/team owner Patrick Dumont, which helps.

Whoever the Mavericks choose, they will have to do so relatively quickly, because there are big decisions to face and they are coming quickly.

Rotate towards Cooper Flagg

Dallas has started the season 3-8, though much of those struggles are due to Irving’s absence as he recovers from a torn ACL suffered last season. Without him, Harrison turned to D’Angelo Russell to make his point, and while that was the best option available, it wasn’t a good one. This led to the situation where Kidd asked Cooper Flagg to play forward, and he did as could be expected of a rookie asked to play out of position. But it’s not ideal.

That 3-8 start, along with Irving’s continued absence, points to a clear direction the Mavericks should take:

Rotate hard and start building around Flagg. Now.

Dallas controls their draft pick this season, in what is considered a very deep draft at the top. The Mavericks don’t control their picks from 2027 to 2030 — they only have one chance to do so.

This leads to other obvious moves. That starts with the Anthony Davis trade, perhaps at the trade deadline, but certainly by next summer. Explore the trade with some of the other veterans, including Irving, as well as Daniel Gafford, Naji Marshall and PJ Washington (Dereck Lively, at age 21, is expected to stay).

It may take a few years to put it all together, but what San Antonio has done around Victor Wembanyama is the model. The Spurs didn’t rush it (as much as his otherworldly talent pushes the timeline), they had some luck in the NBA Draft lottery but they selected wisely with reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle (who took a big step forward in his second season) and the No. 1 pick. 2 Dylan Harper. When the opportunity came to land a top-tier player who should pair well with Wemby in the form of De’Aaron Fox, San Antonio jumped at it. It took a few years, but we can all see the plan taking shape.

Flagg is not Wembanyama, but the model is the same.

To be clear, the market for Davis – 32 years old and with a history of nagging injuries – is not ideal, but there will be interest. Tell Irving to take all the time he needs and more before returning this season. Then, this summer, work with Irving and test the trade market for a player who is still one of the best point guards in the game.

Dallas should have other goals, such as getting below the luxury tax in the short term and ideally working out a trade with Charlotte, which controls the Mavericks’ 2027 first-round pick.

Harrison had a team in the NBA Finals just two seasons ago, then, inexplicably, traded a star player in his prime, thinking it would give the franchise a better championship window. While there will be a temptation for ownership and the new GM to try to keep that timeline alive, it’s time to consider those sunk costs. The combination of injury-prone stars and elite teams in Denver and Oklahoma City makes a two- or three-year window seem like a long shot.

It’s time for Dallas to think long term. It’s time to pivot and build around Flagg.