Mavericks' best Nico Harrison replacement has the edge that would change everything

Dallas Mavericks fans couldn't believe their eyes when Nico Harrison traded away Luka Doncic at the 11th hour of the night on February 1. Just like that, the city of Dallas was torn to pieces because the face of their city was traded, and to the Los Angeles Lakers of all places.

Since Harrison admitting that he didn't quite know how important Doncic was to the city of Dallas, this raised a lot more eyebrows to Mavs fans wondering if Harrison should truly continue as GM. A name that should be in the running is a local DFW native who knows Mavericks history left and right. One guy that's perfect for the job is Mavs Assistant GM Matt Riccardi.

Riccardi, who comes from Plano, Texas, says his dream as a kid was to play a part in bringing a championship to his home city. Even if that part was marginal, he said he'd be forever grateful.

Riccardi's Dallas roots give him the edge Harrison won't ever have

It's always interesting to wonder what things would have been like if Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson were still running the Mavs organization. Cuban actually tried to save the Mavs from the Doncic trade, but by the time the details were finalized, it was too late. The thought of a Mavericks championship immediately went out the door, and it doesn't seem like something Riccardi would've done, given his history with growing up in DFW and having a deep understanding of the team and its history.

While Harrison is well respected around the league for his relationship with some of the NBA's best, Riccardi represents Dallas in a way that Harrison never did. Riccardi is a local face who knows Mavs history, and having a familiar face in the city is an advantage over some executives who don't know the city as well.

“[If] I could do my small little piece to bring a championship to Dallas, to the fanbase, to the place that I grew up, incredible," Riccardi said on the Mavs' Take Dat Wit You Podcast.

Mavericks fans have gotten to know Riccardi better over the last few weeks by him attending the NBA Draft Lottery and different media appearances, and they could be getting to see much more of him moving forward if Harrison gets fired (or if Harrison leaves after his contract expires).

The weight of the Dallas Mavericks' one championship holds a lot of weight, with Dirk Nowitzki having to go through LaMarcus Aldridge, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James. Mavs fans back then knew that Nowitzki was the face of the Mavericks, and it took 13 years for him to win a title, five years after it was ripped away from him in 2006 by the Miami Heat.

Riccardi could also do his part to bring Dirk Nowitzki back to the table. Nowitzki has been a no-show within the Mavs organization over the last few years, clearly not being happy with the Doncic trade or the Casey Smith firing. Nowitzki went as far as to show up at Doncic's Lakers debut in Los Angeles.

With a new era in Cooper Flagg coming to Dallas, the Mavs might need another face to take charge of the GM duties, and Riccardi would be the perfect option. Riccardi grew up around Mavericks culture, and with the fan base badly needing someone who understands them, he'd be the ideal candidate to take Harrison's job one day.