Why Nick Harrison’s replacement has to change AD to build around Cooper Flagg

The Dallas Mavericks‘ The 2025–26 NBA season quickly descended into chaos, and the sacking of Nick Harrison compounded their terrible start until the season. While there may be many questions about why the move wasn’t made earlier, the focus now shifts to the future and the present.

The Mavericks suffered through a brutal 3-8 start to the season due to some key injuries, and will now look to make amends. And while their hands may be tied in the short term, the obvious potential implication revolves around the future Anthony Davis.

Cooper Flagg may not have enjoyed the best start to NBA life despite showing flashes of brilliance. However, the Mavericks also aren’t optimized to make the most of his talents, which starts with the glaring difference in the timeline between Flagg and the rest of Dallas’ stars.

A trade for Anthony Davis seems inevitable

Trading Anthony Davis doesn’t even sound outlandish despite arriving as part of a deal that parted with the Mavericks their biggest asset since Dirk Nowitzki’s Luka Doncic days. Early on, there’s a lot to be said for AD’s lack of fit alongside Flagg.

However, great basketball players can learn to play together, and the problem in this scenario seems much more obvious. Not only is AD one of the most prone superstars in the modern NBA, but his production has declined.

Davis played a total of 14 games for the Mavericks so far per Basketball Reference, and while he may fit the timeline better next to Kyrie Irving, Dallas seems intent on building around Flagg. The simple fact is that the Mavericks’ short-term ambitions simply don’t align with either AD or Irving.

The Mavericks currently rank 29th in offensive rating and are struggling to score points despite having the third-best defensive rating in the NBA so far. Cooper Flagg also faced an uphill battle in his rookie season and was begging for help in light of recent injuries.

The Mavericks (and the rest of the NBA) see him as a generational two-way wing. However, with Irving also out, the lack of a ball handler meant Flagg was forced into an unfamiliar role. And while the blame undoubtedly rests with Harrison and the surprising way the Mavericks even landed Flagg in the top spot, it appears a lot of changes are on the horizon.

Regardless, the decision to trade Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a long 2029 first-round pick can be directly blamed for Harrison’s ejection, which comes alongside Luka Doncic averaging nearly 40 points and a triple-double every game. In such a scenario, the first thing the Mavs undoubtedly need to do is push Flagg back into a more familiar role by adding a true playmaking guard.

Davis remains one of the most gifted two-way players in the game when healthy, but the problem is how rarely that has been the case. He started the season too heavy, already missing games with a calf injury and continues to play limited minutes.

Yes, on top of the fact that he is owed $58.4 million next season and has a player option for 2027–28 worth $62.7 million, the Mavs may even be struggling to get real value. However, firing Harrison was not a move the front office wanted to make.

Instead, they were forced into their hands, especially given the kind of backlash fans have reserved for the now-former GM in recent months. That suggests that The Mavs are already recognizing the mistakes that have led to an aging roster and their difficult start to the season.

In that sense, with Harrison out of the picture, his successor’s first order of business would be to make sure Dallas doubles down on Flagg by actually building a team around a rookie.