Nico Harrison Was the Talk of the NBA Draft Lottery on Monday
The 2024-25 NBA season has been nothing short of a roller coaster for Dallas Mavericks fans.
Fans of the team and the rest of the NBA were blindsided by general manager Nico Harrison's decision to trade superstar and five-time All-NBA guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. To add salt to the wound, the Mavericks ended up getting a package centered around injury-prone Anthony Davis that was far less lucrative than what most around the league would have offered had Harrison shopped Doncic.
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With Harrison going from relatively unknown to public enemy No. 1 in Dallas, the Mavericks ultimately missed the playoffs, further frustrating fans. While there didn't seem to be anything that could save Harrison from the wrath of Dallas fans, Monday night's NBA Draft Lottery may have changed that.
Despite having just a 1.8% chance of securing the top pick, which is widely expected to be Duke star Cooper Flagg, the Mavericks ended up winning the lottery. A result that has plenty of fans on social media discussing how vindicated Harrison must feel.
"Nico Harrison knew what he was doing this entire time," wrote one fan.
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"What did Nico Harrison and Mavs ownership do to get this dawg lmao," questioned another.
"Nico HARRISON IM SORRY FOR DOUBTING YOU," exclaimed another.
"Nico Harrison is just like me, I make huge mistakes, but somehow it just works out in the end," joked another.
"The draft lottery just saved Nico Harrison's job. Honestly Mavs might be better now with AD and Flagg than they were a few months ago with Luka," suggested another.
Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison.Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
While Harrison and the team still have to make the selection, most are viewing it as a formality. Following the conclusion of the lottery, ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo released a mock draft that has Flagg slated to end up in Dallas.
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While Mavs fans rejoiced across the internet, Flagg himself didn't react very much following the announcement.
Flagg and the rest of the NBA world will learn his official fate on Wednesday, June 25.
Related: Mavericks Send Strong Message After Winning Cooper Flagg Sweepstakes
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