With just one move, Nico Harrison turned into one of the most hated figures in Dallas. At the February trade deadline, he shockingly sent Luka Doncic, Mavericks’ biggest superstar since Dirk Nowitzki, to the Lakers without any prior notice. The decision received massive backlash as “Fire Nico” chants began echoing the city. Although nearly five months have passed since that dreaded night, the GM continues to be villainized by the Dallas fanbase. But drafting Cooper Flagg might have changed everything! At least, that’s what Nico hopes.

Well, Harrison initially hoped that fans would begin to forgive him once Anthony Davis, the player he acquired in exchange for Luka, starts working his magic and leads the Mavs to a deep playoff run. Unfortunately, that never happened as AD suffered a brutal injury in his debut and was sidelined indefinitely. Adding to Nico’s misery, Mavs failed to qualify for the postseason, making the already frustrated fanbase even more furious. Looked like there was no coming back from the Luka mistake, and many even expected the Mavs to fire the GM.

Then came a ray of hope. Against all odds, Dallas won the lottery and received the first pick in this year’s draft. Sure enough, they went with the obvious choice, Cooper Flagg. Now, Nico believes acquiring a generational talent like Flagg would help put an end to the constant backlash he has received from the people of Dallas. “I’m hoping so. I’m assuming so a little bit, maybe,” he optimistically remarked, with a smile on his face, putting massive pressure on Cooper’s young shoulders.

Sure, no player will ever be able to fill Luka’s shoes. During his six complete seasons with the Mavs, he had five straight All-Star selections and made five All-NBA First teams. Also, he led an underdog team to the NBA Finals. But if Cooper is able to live up to the hype, he can surely build his own legacy in Dallas and ease the fans’ pain of Doncic’s departure. Maybe, even change their mind about Nico. Even the Mavs players are ready to embrace the Blue Devil with open arms.

Nico Harrison praises Mavs culture as unusual details emerge about Cooper Flagg’s Dallas visit

Realizing that Dallas could be his new home for the foreseeable future, Cooper officially visited the city last week. He had dinner with a contingent of Mavs officials and was reportedly “having fun” throughout. But turns out, his trip did not end there. Revealing new details about Flagg’s visit, Nico said, “When he came here, six guys took him out to dinner the second night. So, I just think it’s kind of unique for a team that didn’t make the playoffs and six of their players are taking the potential draft pick out to dinner.”

Sure, six veteran players taking a draft prospect out for dinner seems a bit strange. But when it’s the potential future face of the franchise, there are bound to be exceptions. Per Harrison, this unusual behavior confirms, “Our culture is a lot stronger than people realize.” Further reiterating his point, the GM revealed that he had a conversation with PJ Washington about playing with Cooper, and the veteran star replied, “Oh yeah, we can play together.”

“So, I don’t see any jealousy. I think guys are excited to play with him.” Nico remarked. Well, it truly seems like the dawn of a new era for the Mavs, and hopefully, along with it will begin a redemption arc for the GM. What do you think?