Cooper Flagg's rookie year role gets even clearer after latest Nico Harrison decision

Nico Harrison is on a quest to make the Dallas Mavericks a team full of forwards, and he's doing a pretty good job of it. After signing PJ Washington to a 4-year, $90 million extension on Wednesday afternoon, the Mavs have once again made their intentions for this year, and future years, clear: they want to be bigger, stronger, and more versatile than their opponents. They also made their intentions for rookie Cooper Flagg even clearer; he's going to act as a 6-foot-9 point guard.

An excess of forwards isn't exactly a problem because all of them are productive players. But the stockpile of forwards does come at the expense of guard depth. D'Angelo Russell and Dante Exum are really the only two true ball-handling guards on the roster while Kyrie Irving is sidelined with an injury. The Mavs not feeling a need to add another guard for emergencies signals to me that we will see plenty of Cooper Flagg as the primary ball-handler this season.

Washington, Flagg, Anthony Davis, Naji Marshall, even Dwight Powell will likely all get playing time at forward this season, with Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford also getting some burn at the four when Jason Kidd is feeling frisky and wants to run a true double-big lineup. Flagg's versatility will be a huge boon to the Mavs on both ends, and it's why this team feels confident rolling with so few guards and so many forwards on the roster.

Cooper Flagg is going to handle the ball a lot this season

How long will it take for Jason Kidd to roll out a five-forward lineup? Cooper Flagg, Naji Marshall, PJ Washington, Anthony Davis and Daniel Gafford (okay, that's like 4.5 forwards) could actually be a fun combo. It's not often we see NBA lineups with five players who could feasibly guard the opponent's center.

No matter who Flagg is on the floor with on a given night, he's likely going to have the ball in his hands more than people realize. D-Lo is a (usually) reliable offensive option but is a scorer by nature, and creation isn't Dante Exum's strong suit, meaning Flagg will be tasked with lots of facilitation duties right off the bat. Maybe that dynamic changes when Kyrie Irving returns, but to open the season, expect to see lots of plays starting with Flagg, whose passing and poise with the ball in his hands might be his most NBA-ready traits.

This is the biggest question about Flagg when he serves as a "point forward" this season. If he's on the floor with just one other guard, he could be tasked with defending opposing shooting guards. Flagg's combination of size and mobility on defense pops whenever he plays, but the speed of NBA guards is a whole new ballgame, even for a guy with such massive defensive upside. There may be an adjustment period for Flagg when stuck on quick guards. Still, Flagg is going to be a connector on both sides to start his career and the more he can operate with the ball in his hand, the better for the Mavs.