Nico Harrison should just change his title from GM to Smooth Operator. His masterclass actually ended up working out. The Dallas Mavericks had just a 1.8% chance of winning the No. 1 pick. And guess what- they did. Suddenly, Dallas residents don’t feel so bad about trading Luka Doncic anymore. You know why? It’s because of a Doncic regen – in the form of Cooper Flagg, who is waiting for June 26th to come so he can finally don the Mavs’ royal blue and black.

All of this is just hyperbole though. Yes, the Mavs will be looking to get Flagg into the team after a historic NCAA career. It’s not guaranteed though, no matter how much of a no-brainer it seems to be. But what are their plans with the de-facto No. 1 pick if they do get him? Apart from general scoring ability and two-way playing, it’s marketing.

At the moment, the Mavericks’ public image couldn’t be worse. Amy Powers, CEO of their crisis management team The Power Group, called the Luka Doncic trade a “PR nightmare.” So the first thing would be to get their image back in place.

“First of all, if Cooper Flagg is the player everybody believes he will be, he’s going to be an extraordinarily marketable guy and folks who might not have wanted to renew their season tickets are probably ringing up the ticket office right now,” said Mavs insider Tim MacMahon on Brian Windhorst & the Hoop Collective.

This could be their chance to reset everything. The lottery just reduces the scrutiny on Nico Harrison for the time being. And with Cooper, they get better defensive output compared to the Don. “They can reset everything. There’s a reason why Rick Welts had a joker-like grin sitting at his seat because he’s got a marketing of the Mavericks. That’s right. The guy who’s in charge of selling, selling tickets for the team and selling a new arena and everything, all that stuff. And they fell ass backwards into the solution to all their problems. If the Mavericks have a sense of humor, the highlight reel that they put out on social media and all that after they draft Cooper Flagg is going to be nothing but defense,” said Tim Mac on the pod.

But all this is just an aid to the ongoing crisis. Luka Doncic was their knight in shining armor. Their hero during dark times. One of the sole reasons they even got to the NBA finals last season. So, all Cooper Flagg’s arrival does is put the Mavs supporters in a dilemma- do they forgive Nico Harrison for Doncic’s departure?

Cooper Flagg’s arrival triggers emotional dilemma for Mavericks fans

Nico was probably the only person who saw the benefits of trading Doncic away. They’re still not visible to their fanbase, and they still hate him for what he did. Luka’s return on April 10th this year was the ultimatum. It made the loyal royal blue and black donners side with their former hero, rather than believe in the vision of their GM.

But the draft lottery changes a lot. Tim Mac seems to believe there’s still hate residing due to the uncertainty around the Mavs actually drafting Cooper Flagg. They traded Doncic unexpectedly – what’s to stop them from taking another surprising decision?

“Yeah, I would just say, I have not been told with 100% certainty, we’re drafting Cooper Flagg. Right. Say never because I didn’t because they can’t trade Luka and Cooper Flagg at the same calendar. I wouldn’t think so. I didn’t think they were going to trade Luka despite understanding all the frustration there was. So my assumption is you draft this generational talent who would be number one in the vast majority of drafts,” said Tim Mac on the pod.

Mavs CEO Rick Welts fondly believes the front office did what was best for the team. Now, after all the drama regarding Luka’s trade, fans may actually have a reason to get onboard with the plan. “And what happened today, I can’t imagine a better day for Mavs fans. It’s going to really be something special. I can’t wait to get back to Dallas,” said Welts, who joined Dallas only in January, unaware of the eventful few months to come.

Cooper Flagg’s arrival in Texas does seem like a no-brainer. But this year just goes to show how unpredictable the NBA can really be. The Duke graduate will be their saving grace on the court and off it. But will this be enough for the Mavericks fanbase to get behind Nico Harrison? Only time will tell.