Mavericks blow shot at all-time dream trade target and Nico Harrison's to blame

With the offseason in full effect for the Dallas Mavericks, fans have already begun to ponder what possible moves Nico Harrison and the front office can make to keep the team competitive next season. It's unclear what direction the Mavericks are headed in, but with two aging stars likely returning to the roster next season, the Mavericks must remain championship contenders.

The Mavericks have a few ways of acquiring assets this offseason, and one of which includes this year's NBA Draft. The Mavs were gifted with the 11th-best odds to obtain the first overall pick, and it may seem like a shot in the dark that the Mavericks may draft Cooper Flagg, but it could be their only reality to make up for trading Luka Doncic.

While it's doubtful Dallas gets the first overall pick, it's hard not to notice the hole Harrison dug for the Mavericks as they approach the summer. The Mavericks are not only in a salary cap hold after trading for Caleb Martin, but Harrison practically traded away some of the Mavericks' best assets in the deal that sent Doncic to the Lakers.

Had Harrison done his diligence and negotiated properly with Rob Pelinka and landed more pieces and assets, Dallas' offseason may look completely different. However, with the lack of assets the Mavericks have to trade, they could miss out on an all-time trade target at the worst time.

Harrison ruined Dallas' chances of trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo

The NBA Playoffs are full of unexpected turns and outcomes, and the Milwaukee Bucks learned this the hard way as they were bounced out of the postseason in back-to-back years by the Indiana Pacers.

While the Pacers dominated the Bucks in just about every facet of the game, Bucks superstar Damian Lillard went down with a gruesome Achilles tear that puts his professional career in jeopardy. Not only will the Bucks have to answer for Lillard's injury, but there's a chance Giannis Antetokounmpo could ask out of Milwaukee if he sees the team isn't staying competitive.

Nobody can predict what Antetokounmpo might decide over the next few months, but it's clear Milwaukee's days of contending for titles are long gone. Whether it's due to Lillard's injury or the Bucks' lack of young assets, the team isn't what it once was a few seasons ago.

With Antetokounmpo's future in question, many teams that are looking to etch their names as instant title contenders for the next few seasons are looking at every possibility it would take to trade for the former MVP. With this in mind, it's hard not to notice the Mavericks' lack of assets for a trade that would instantly make up for losing Doncic.

In a recent article by Sam Quinn of CBS Sports, he ranked every team's chances of acquiring Antetokounmpo, and to no surprise from fans, Dallas ranked third to last on that list. Quinn detailed how Harrison ruined the Mavericks' chances of finally getting Antetokounmpo by not acquiring enough game-changing assets in the Anthony Davis-Doncic swap.

The Mavericks could have easily gotten a slew of Lakers first-round picks on top of the agreed trade package. In addition to more draft capital, Harrison also could have gotten Austin Reaves or Dalton Knecht to pair alongside Irving and Davis.

In hindsight, it's hard to imagine the Mavericks only got one first-round pick, which will likely be deemed as unvaluable in the future. Had Harrison done his job correctly and gotten a decent return for Doncic, the Mavs would likely be at the top of the list to trade for Antetokounmpo.

With the Mavericks in desperate need of a jolt of life on both ends of the floor, Antetokounmpo would have provided them with the perfect third addition to make a legitimate title push next year. It's unclear what Harrison has up his sleeve to get Dallas back in the driver's seat, but it's gonna require some brilliance from him and the front office.