Dallas Basketball

NBA analyst's one-word response to define Mavericks offseason

The Dallas Mavericks have had a busy offseason, but one word encapsulates it all.
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg drives past San Antonio Spurs forward Carter Bryant.
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg drives past San Antonio Spurs forward Carter Bryant. | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

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The Dallas Mavericks jumped quickly into their next era after trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.

They have a new franchise cornerstone in Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in this year's NBA Draft.

Bleacher Report writer Grant Hughes identified one word to describe the Mavs' offseason and chose "visionary."

READ MORE: Dallas Mavericks, ex-Warriors star Klay Thompson named to exclusive list

Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg passes the ball against San Antonio Spurs center Nathan Mensah
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg passes the ball against San Antonio Spurs center Nathan Mensah. | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Mavericks undergoing massive changes with Cooper Flagg

"Nico Harrison had a hard time saying the right thing when he traded Luka Dončić, probably because there was no right thing to say. His decision to send out an in-prime superstar who'd just led his team to the Finals did not square with his plan to build a win-now roster," Hughes wrote.

"The Dallas Mavericks already had one of those, and Dončić was the centerpiece. Even if concerns about the five-time All-NBA first-teamer's conditioning and defense were legit, Harrison failed miserably by not canvassing the league for better offers than the one he got from the Los Angeles Lakers.

"The embattled GM did himself no favors after lucking into the pick that became Cooper Flagg, instead pretending as if that good fortune was part of a plan."

Regardless of the intention behind the moves over the past six months, the Mavericks find themselves with the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft helping lead the franchise.

They have an alpha to lead a team to a championship, but they need to put the players that best allow the Mavs to win a championship around him.

That will be a bigger challenge, and if it goes awry, it will cost Harrison his job.

READ MORE: Jason Kidd considers himself 'lucky' to coach Cooper Flagg on Mavericks

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

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