Will it ever end?
Will Nico Harrison ever outrun the Luka Doncic trade?
Dallas has some history when trying to outrun a fan favorite, albeit not one at the level of Doncic.
Once upon a time, Mark Cuban let Steve Nash go to the Phoenix Suns via free agency. Nash would go on to win back-to-back MVPs, but Cuban would be rescued by the Mavericks’ two NBA Finals appearances, one of which ended with a title.
Two NBA Finals appearances with a title might not be enough for Harrison.
Last night was an oddity for any sport.
The city of Dallas welcomed Doncic back to his old stomping ground with a tribute that brought him to tears. Then, Doncic reduced the Mavericks to tears by dropping 45 points in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 112-97 win.
As Doncic reminded Dallas and their fans of what they were missing, the fans periodically chanted, “Fire Nico!”
Harrison knows he is Public Enemy Number One in a city with plenty of ammunition against Jerry Jones. That’s one hell of an accomplishment.
What, if anything, can save Harrison?
It starts with Dallas staying healthy next season. The Mavericks need to get Kyrie Irving back, and Anthony Davis will need to play 65+ games.
Last season, Harrison did a great job getting complimentary pieces around Doncic. Trading for Irving was a no-brainer, but getting Daniel Gafford away from the Washington Wizards after Kyle Kuzma talked the Wizards into taking him out of trade talks was borderline brilliant. Trading for PJ Washington might have been expensive, but he performed in the playoffs when the lights were brightest, and he gets an A+ for drafting Dereck Lively.
It’s hard to forget how good of a job Harrison did last season because of the outcry over the Doncic.
Now, Harrison is tasked with putting the right players around Davis and Irving, which they could do via trade. If they can get some lottery luck, perhaps they can hit on a player the way they did with Lively.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg. The roster needs to be one piece away from threatening for a championship.
Harrison will also need a very patient ownership group so he can see his vision have a chance. If the Dumonts get impatient, Harrison could lose his job, and good luck getting another one, even though Joe Dumars has found a way to outrun drafting Darko Miličić over Carmelo Anthony.
There’s a pathway to redemption for Harrison. It’s part of his job to find it.
