After stunning the NBA world for the second time this year by securing the first pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Nico Harrison and the Dallas Mavericks’ plans for the near future continue to generate discussion among fans.
Although the Mavericks finished the regular season with the 10th-best record in the Western Conference and were just one win away from making the playoffs, they had an incredible stroke of luck. They landed the No. 1 pick in the draft despite reportedly having just a 1.8% chance of doing so.
While the opportunity to draft Cooper Flagg undoubtedly changes the outlook for the Mavericks, it also forces the franchise to reconsider its original plan, likely formed when it decided to trade away Luka Dončić to acquire Anthony Davis.
Analyst Discusses How Nico Harrison Is Viewed Within League Circles
After the NBA Draft Combine, teams gained a clearer picture of which young prospects they might pursue in the 2025 draft. Though Dallas has no obvious reason to trade away the top pick and the chance to acquire a generational talent such as Flagg, the team may consider restructuring its roster in light of recent events.
John Hollinger from The Athletic, who extensively covered the NBA draft combine, recently reported that an anonymous league executive expressed concerns about Harrison’s decision-making.
“While initial smoke signals are that Dallas intends to keep the pick and select Duke’s Cooper Flagg, the question remains about the best pathway forward for the Mavericks,” Hollinger wrote.
“Remember, general manager Nico Harrison initially talked about a ‘three-year title window’ when he traded [Luka] Dončić for Anthony Davis; might he now reconsider that approach in light of both the luck bestowed by the lottery gods and the torn ACL suffered by All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, events that both brightened the Mavs’ long term and dampened their short term?”
Hollinger continued, “Logically, the rational move now would seem to be to trade Davis, who is 32 and will never have more trade value. That would pivot the franchise toward maximizing its roster right when Flagg hits his prime seasons at the end of the decade. Alas, ‘I’m not sure you’re dealing with a rational actor here,’ as one league spy cautioned me.”
The original championship window that Harrison envisioned with the Davis trade may now be compromised. Hollinger speculates that Harrison could undo his earlier move and trade Davis while his value is high. In doing so, Dallas could collect several assets to build around Flagg for the long term.
It might seem beneficial for Flagg to play alongside championship-caliber veterans like Davis and Irving, but Davis is often injured, and Irving is recovering from a torn ACL. While a healthy duo could make the Mavericks title contenders, the team’s long-term outlook is less certain due to limited assets after making win-now moves. Dallas may be better off building around Flagg and trading Davis and Irving for future assets.
