Some call it sheer luck, or some smell controversy in how Cooper Flagg ended in Dallas. With only 1.8% odds of winning the lottery, they had the number one pick in the 2025 Draft, just months after trading the franchise cornerstone in Luka Doncic. The latter decision is what Nico Harrison took with the ‘defence wins championships’ motto, but the team crashed out in the Play-in tournament. Another heartbreaking moment for the fans was when Kyrie Irving suffered a torn ACL in his left knee. So when will he be back?

“We kind of knew he would be because of the way he attacks his rehab. He’s going two or three times a day. As much as he wants to rush it, we don’t want him to. But he’s going to be fine.” Based on the GM’s update, Kyrie Irving could be back in action sooner than expected. But that’s not what the Star guard had said previously. During a live stream, Kai candidly revealed, “Don’t hold your breath on that… I just want to be back 150,000 percent better.” No timeline/ prediction to come back, unlike Harrison. So, who should the fans trust?

“I don’t know that I can believe Nico Harrison when he says we don’t want him to rush it. The Mavs are a win-now situation. They do not have enough guards for Kyrie Irving to not be brought back this season.” This reaction was from Nick Angstadt of the Locked On Mavericks Podcast. The host of the show also detailed that there is pressure on the 9x All-Star and the GM, who is not letting on to the full story.

“And I think if you put truth serum to Nico Harrison, he’s gonna say’ We’ve got to have Kyrie.’ This is a win-now situation. You’ve got the number one pick. And I don’t know that there’s going to be this runway for the Mavs to not be good.” This pressure is apparently created by Harrison, opined Angstadt. Ever since the Luka Doncic trade. “Because I think Nico Harrison’s leash got so short after that trade and after the response to that trade, because I do not think that they expected the response.”

In fact, Uncle Drew’s injury is what has led to a new role for Cooper Flagg. Despite his preferred position being a Forward and his stature of 6-feet-8, the coach and the GM want the 18-year-0ld to handle point guard duties. A new role in a new environment, is the Dallas Mavericks putting a lot of pressure on the rookie?

Cooper Flagg might be saved from the real pressure due to Nico Harrison’s Luka Doncic decision

The most talked-about GM is once again in the headlines. Who would have thought that trading Luka Doncic would indirectly benefit him with the number 1 pick in Cooper Flagg? The Maine native can’t really replace the Slovenian amongst the fanbase. But that job can be done by the former #1 pick and the All-Star player, the Mavs received from the Luka trade.

“Where he (Cooper Flagg) does have pressure is he’s going to have to replace Luka… I think a lot of it will go on Anthony Davis. I think Anthony Davis will be the one that wears the brunt of that pressure.” Angstadt believed that the presence of the All-Star forward would help create the connection and somebody else to shoulder the fanbase’s love. “And I think that’s kind of my point today is that there’s tons of pressure on Cooper Flagg, but Anthony Davis is the one that’s going to shield him from having all the pressure on him completely.”

The fans in Dallas have a hard time believing the front office. That’s why ever since the Luka trade, ‘Fire Nico’ chants haven’t died down completely. So, it’s obvious that the fanbase is not trusting every single statement from their GM. Especially when it comes to the health of Kyrie Irving, the co-star of the magical 2024 Finals run alongside Luka Doncic.