The Dallas Mavericks will head into the NBA offseason looking to fix several problems, and one looms larger than all the rest.
The Dallas Mavericks are expected to hit the ground running this offseason, continuing to fix the damage caused to the franchise by Nico Harrison trading away Luka Doncic.
Drafting Cooper Flagg was the best start possible, and moving on Anthony Davis for (albeit limited) draft capital was a necessary move.
Next season, the Mavericks will enjoy point guard play from Kyrie Irving, and Dereck Lively II will also return from injury. On top of that, Dallas currently boasts the seventh-best odds in the NBA Draft lottery, with a 7.5% chance to win the top pick and 31.9% odds to wind up in the top four.
So "tanking'' is in play, as on Friday at the AAC the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Mavericks 138-105 on Friday night ... with prized rookie Flagg scoring 25 points for the home team ...
And with the home team falling to a dismal record of 22-45.
So they are losing, as they must. And yet there is light at the end of this post-Luka Doncic-era tunnel.
And ...
Despite all that future promise, there's one thing the Mavericks still have to do.
Dallas Mavericks Must Commit to Key Move
Who will the Mavericks draft? Who will they sign in free agency? Who will they offer extensions to? Will they make an offseason trade?
All of those questions need to be answered, but for now, the Mavericks must address one key, often overlooked shortcoming.
Who will be the one to make all of those choices?
After Harrison was fired, the Mavericks named Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi as their co-interim general managers. Mark Cuban, Patrick Dumont, and Jason Kidd all also seem to play a big role in front office decisions, but the chain of command is muddy.
The Mavericks must hire or promote someone to be the full-time, sole GM. It can't go worse than last time, right?
"The search for Nico Harrison’s successor at general manager is the most important issue the Mavericks must resolve in the coming months," declared The Athletic's Christian Clark. "Whomever Dumont picks is going to be tasked with shaping the Mavericks’ roster in the Cooper Flagg era."
Clark called the post an "attractive opening" thanks to the young core already assembled. This will not be a "from scratch" rebuild for whoever takes over, and there is a longer runway than other openings might offer.
For now, the committee in charge seems to be working, but running an NBA organization is not left best to democracy. Instead, the Mavericks need a blueprint, a vision, and someone to make the tough calls and turn Dallas back into a basketball destination and winning franchise. ...
After they get done losing on purpose, of course.