It’s been a whirlwind year for the Dallas Mavericks. After landing the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft Lottery—just the second time in franchise history—the Mavericks are bathing in optimism. Cooper Flagg, widely considered a generational talent, is now expected to be on his way to the American Airlines Center. However, the excitement is clouded by the stunning reality that the same season Flagg arrives, Luka Doncic was shipped off to the Lakers.
How the Mavericks landed the top pick with just a 1.8 percent chance has sparked wild speculation. Whispers of a “rigged lottery” gained traction fast—fueled by the NBA’s rumored interest in revitalizing its fourth-largest market after a chaotic trade deadline left fans stunned and furious. The Mavs went from title contenders to almost a full-blown rebuild in less than six months, and no amount of luck in the lottery can erase that emotional whiplash fans went through.
Now, with fans cautiously optimistic about the future, one truth remains: trust still has to be earned.
And that brings us to Nico Harrison. Throughout last season, he leaned hard into the "defense wins championships" mantra following the trade, a philosophy that subtly (or maybe not so subtly) questioned whether Luka Doncic could be the centerpiece of a title team. But hindsight is cruel—and clear.
Dallas had a great shot at winning title this season before Doncic trade
Harrison exaggerated the team’s defensive flaws and blew up the roster before it had the chance to fully gel. The Western Conference Finals are now underway between Oklahoma City and Minnesota—two teams Dallas beat in last year’s playoffs. The team that knocked the Mavericks out, the Boston Celtics, has already been eliminated. It’s not just wishful thinking; there's a very real argument that the Mavs could’ve been right back in the Finals this year if Harrison hadn't traded Doncic.
With a full offseason for P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford to mesh, plus the additions of Klay Thompson and Quentin Grimes, the roster had the depth, shooting, and elite defense that Harrison claimed to value. But he gave that team three, maybe four months before pressing the detonation button—and making what might go down as the worst trade in franchise history.
At the end of the day, Nico Harrison gambled—and he lost.
Trading away a generational talent like Doncic, especially after proving the roster around him could compete at the highest level, will haunt this front office for years if Cooper Flagg doesn’t become the superstar they’re banking on. The Mavs had a chance to build on continuity, chemistry, and playoff experience, but instead hit reset.
Maybe Flagg becomes the face of a new era, maybe the lottery win becomes a blessing in disguise. But for now, the only thing clear when watching the 2025 NBA Playoffs, especially the competition on the West side of the bracket, is that Dallas didn’t need to start over. They were already built to win.
The Mavericks would have had a great chance of winning a series against the Timberwolves or Thunder, and fans will always wonder how many titles Doncic could have brought home to Dallas if Harrison hadn't traded him.