On Tuesday morning, the Dallas Mavericks finally did what many fans have been clamoring for by firing general manager Nico Harrison. The move comes amid the Mavericks' 3-8 start to the season, in which Cooper Flagg has had some moments but the team overall has struggled mightily on offense.
Recently, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic took to Bluesky to break down his thoughts on where Dallas might potentially go from here.
“This is the last season the Mavericks control their 1st round pick until 2031. They have to make a decision on whether to try to resuscitate this season but there could be a strong incentive to go with the tide. The top of the 2026 draft should be very good and Cooper Flagg could use help longterm,” he reported on the app.
Indeed, the 2026 NBA Draft class is expected to be a strong one, with names like Cameron Boozer and Darryn Peterson expected to go at or near the top.
Tough times for the Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks entered this year hoping to hold steady in the Western Conference playoff race until Kyrie Irving returns, at which point they could fully take off into a legitimate contender.
Dallas has not exactly been able to do that thus far, as Anthony Davis has already dealt with an extended injury absence that continued on Monday evening against the Washington Wizards, and the Mavericks as a whole have been the worst offense in the NBA up to this point in the season.
The idea of essentially throwing in the towel on 2025-26 and hoping to compete for some more lottery ping pong balls to go their way could be an enticing one for the Mavericks, especially when coupled with the prospect of trading Davis, Irving, or both and getting more future assets in return.
In any case, the Mavericks will next take the floor on Wednesday night at home against the upstart Phoenix Suns for their first game of the post-Nico Harrison era.
