Mavs GM Nico Harrison: Dallas Must Put ‘Right Players’ Around Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving
With the Dallas Mavericks’ failure of a 2022-23 season behind them, the path to rebuilding a contending roster begins now.
In somewhat of an odd move, the Mavs had their players conduct exit interviews on Sunday afternoon after their season-finale loss to the San Antonio Spurs — a sign that everyone was tired and simply wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.
On Tuesday, GM Nico Harrison faced the media in a more normal exit interview setting to talk about his team’s biggest needs this offseason, why he’s optimistic about the Mavs’ chances of re-signing Kyrie Irving, and trying to keep Luka Doncic happy.
“To fans that are frustrated, they should be frustrated." Harrison said. "This year was not acceptable. … I feel for them, and the only confidence I can give them is we’re going to evaluate everything, and we’re not going to be in this position again.
"The two biggest things we need: defense, period. And then rebounding. So, that's going to be addressed."
Harrison has been no stranger to making bold moves since being hired by the Mavs nearly two years ago. He pulled the plug on the Kristaps Porzingis experiment in the 2021-22 season, trading him to the Washington Wizards for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans.
That trade proved to be the right button to push, as the Mavs went off in the second half the season and went all the way to the Western Conference Finals before being knocked off by the eventual-champion Golden State Warriors.
This season, he made yet another bold move by trading for Irving. Despite Irving being an excellent offensive fit alongside Doncic, this big swing had the opposite effect from last year’s, as the Mavs bottomed out down the stretch and didn’t even qualify for the play-in tournament. Harrison acknowledged his roster’s shortcomings and shared his vision for what needs to happen going forward.
“I think Luka and Kyrie work together. I think it’s the players around them. … That’s the part we need to work on,” Harrison said.
That might seem like a little harsh for any Maverick not named Luka or Kyrie, but for the most part, it was a true and transparent statement for Harrison to make. The pairing of Doncic and Irving isn’t the problem in Dallas — consistent and effective roster building, however, has been.
Given the Mavs’ slide since this year’s big trade, many wonder how it might affect the team’s chances of re-signing Irving, but like owner Mark Cuban, Harrison voiced optimism on that particular topic.
“[We] had a great conversation [with Kyrie Irving]. He feels accepted and allowed to be himself,” Harrison said. “He’s said those things consistently, and that’s what gives me the optimism that he wants to be here.”
Cuban stated last week that Irving is the Mavs’ “top priority” this summer, which justifiably gave MFFLs flashbacks to last summer’s disaster when re-signing Jalen Brunson was also the team’s top priority. We’ll see if the Mavs’ front office can start making things right this time around.
Another hot topic over the last month or so of the season was the happiness level of Doncic. He became only the second player in league history to average at least 32 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, joining Michael Jordan in 1988-89, but it was essentially all for nothing.
No real shot at MVP. No real shot at a playoff appearance, let alone a title run. And perhaps no fourth-consecutive All-NBA First Team appearance either.
Doncic, despite routinely showing signs of great frustration throughout the season, pushed back on ESPN’s report about the Mavs ‘fearing’ him requesting a trade as soon as summer of 2024 if big changes aren’t made. Doncic stated, “I’m happy here. Nothing to worry [about.]”
Although that might be true for now, Harrison’s job is to make sure it stays that way. Getting the Mavs back on track next season would put a lot of peoples’ worries at ease.
"I think our job really to keep Luka happy, if you will, is surrounding him by the right players to help him win," Harrison said. "And I think Luka's a talent that deserves that."
Doncic is a talent that deserves that. Irving is a talent that deserves that. The MFFLs who suffered through this slog of a season deserve that.
It’s time for Harrison to go make it happen.
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