Nico Harrison will likely catch strays for the Luka Dončić trade until the day he retires — and maybe longer. The whole NBA world gave him greif when the trade happened, and that hasn't faded four months later. Now the No. 1 golfer in the world is throwing shade at Harrison and the Dallas Mavericks, too. Scottie Scheffler said he’s really not interested in the NBA Finals and hasn’t paid attention to the NBA much since Dončić was traded overnight from Dallas to the Los Angeles Lakers, saying he's still "...a little bummed."
That’s the influence of sport. That’s also the influence of players that carry a big brand with them. Harrison will continue to be the punchline until the Mavs figure out how to get back to the NBA Finals and lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy themselves. I guess Harrison can rectify that by drafting Cooper Flagg and actually using him as the franchise cornerstone.
Only Cooper Flagg can save Nico Harrison — maybe
The influence Flagg has on the Mavs if they draft him could probably surpass what Dončić meant to the franchise. Flagg can come in as the savior for a team that needs that face of the franchise. For the stupidest reason possible, the Mavs gave up on Dončić. If they don’t give up on Flagg, it could be a blessing in disguise.
Flagg could be the person to save Harrison, but will that be enough? Harrison has already lost the fan base and it’s clear he might not get it back. Getting Flagg is a start, but he won’t replace Dončić's influence.
Thanks to Harrison and seemingly the new management, the Mavs have hit rock bottom. This season got derailed with Kyrie Irving’s injury and then Anthony Davis’s injuries as well. But in one offseason, they could create a core of scorers and elite players that makes Mavs fans forget how they got here.
Dallas has to be in a win now mindset, even with the No. 1 overall pick. After all, they did reach the NBA play-in tournament. They have a good enough roster to compete in the playoffs. Once the storm passes of what Harrison created, if the Mavs ultimately get back into championship contention, it just might be worth it.
But that doesn’t take away from what he did and the damage he caused to the fan base and NBA fans. The NBA already has a viewership problem and now Harrison is contributing to it with the Dončić move. He equally can turn it around by drafting Flagg and keeping the Mavs competitive.
That might not be enough to win the fans back though. Harrison might not ever win back the fan base. And if it’s causing even casual fans to question watching the NBA, it’s proof he really did irreparable damage to the Mavericks franchise.