Mavericks' Nico Harrison chaos claims the most unexpected victim

The firing of Nico Harrison has dominated NBA headlines over the last 24 hours, and understandably so. With Harrison's firing, it looks like the Dallas Mavericks could undergo a complete overhaul at some point. Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley will now lead the team. Players like Klay Thompson might be first on the players' side of the overhaul, but the fans are just hoping for a clean slate in the front office. The player who might be hurting the worst throughout all of this is, surprisingly, Cooper Flagg.

Flagg is just an 18-year-old kid who's trying to learn the fundamentals of the game better and figure out the ropes of the NBA. Truth be told, it's already hard to play as an 18-year-old in the NBA, and now Flagg has a lot more to deal with than just growing pains.

Flagg's mom, Kelly, was also in the middle of confusion on social media after reposting a tweet that mentioned firing Nico Harrison in the body. She explained that she wasn't necessarily advocating for Harrison's firing. She only wants the fans to focus on the basketball that is being played. Fans are chanting "Fire Nico" while Mavericks players are at the free-throw line, and it was causing too much of a distraction for the team. For Flagg, he's unfortunately in the middle of this, and he has a lot more to think about.

Nico Harrison's firing casts a shadow over Cooper Flagg's rookie year

We're not necessarily saying this will stunt Flagg's basketball growth, as he has the potential to be in the Hall of Fame one day. He already has to deal with being the next face of the Mavericks after Luka Doncic, and it's extremely difficult to live up to those expectations as it is.

Flagg doesn't deserve to be in the middle of any of this. He just came into the organization at an awkward time. As a teenager, Flagg is really mature for his age, and shows that in his interviews all the time. He won't let that affect him, but this isn't even the first time Flagg has been rocked by a PR nightmare this year, as he's had to battle that even before his NBA career began.

Jason Kidd was in the rumor mill over the summer as someone who would leave Dallas. Some reports mentioned that he was in the running for the New York Knicks head coaching position to be reunited with Giannis Antetokounmpo (if they were to pursue a trade to land him).

Even this rumor alone was enough to cause some havoc to Flagg's summer, as he could've thought that his first head coach might be on the move before his career even began. The Harrison noise was enough in itself, but having to deal with a crazy rumor right off the bat didn't help at all for Flagg getting settled in Dallas.

Even though fans won't miss Harrison at all, it's unfortunate to think that Flagg's first GM is already being thrown to the side. Yes, even though Harrison wanted to take credit for getting Flagg when all he had to thank was luck, it's the first face that drafted Flagg into the NBA.

Flagg is a mature, young man with a clear mind, and Harrison being gone should be a breath of fresh air for the players and fans. It's just unfortunate that he has to be a part of it while also figuring out how to save his team's season.