Mavericks quietly hint at brilliant fan favorite stealing Nico Harrison's job

The Dallas Mavericks are just over three weeks away from taking presumptive No.1 overall pick Cooper Flagg and changing the course of Maverick basketball forever. Since trading away Luka Doncic, the Mavericks have been in a constant downward spiral until they miraculously won the NBA's Draft Lottery and the Flagg sweepstakes.

In one night, the direction of the franchise changed in what could have been a moment that saved Nico Harrison's career. While Harrison will remain on the hot seat for the remainder of his Mavericks tenure, considering what he put fans through, the team could be gearing up for major change in the next few seasons.

With Flagg soon to be on the Dallas roster, a lot of personnel on the floor as well as in the front office could change, and it may start with firing Harrison. The Mavericks and majority owner Patrick Dumont haven't been shy about making potential moves in the front office, and the Mavs could finally have their perfect Harrison replacement.

Matt Riccardi should take Nico Harrison's job as Mavs GM eventually

It's no secret that fans want Harrison fired, and there's a good argument to make that once Harrison is out of the Mavericks organization, more fans will finally embrace the team once again. While this is all speculation, Matt Riccardi, Assistant General Manager for the Mavericks, has continued to make a splash since Dallas won the draft lottery almost a month ago and will be an outstanding GM one day.

Riccardi has now made multiple appearances on podcasts and other platforms in the past few weeks, and his comments have made fans feel better about Flagg potentially being a member of the Mavericks for a very long time.

Since Harrison traded Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in an attempt to make the Mavericks a better championship-contending team, his voice has almost diminished completely within the fanbase. Not only have the Mavericks hinted at making a hire in an attempt to watch over Harrison's moves, but Riccardi has continued to make more public appearances since Harrison has become enemy No. 1 in Dallas.

Not being able to use Harrison for media availabilities should be a red flag, and Riccardi has filled in marvelously. The Mavericks using Riccardi to fill in for Harrison at the NBA Draft Lottery, as well as different media appearances, shows how the organization feels about him, and these type of things should only increase if they continue to hide Harrison from the world.

Dallas is clearly showing how much they like and trust Riccardi, and depending on how Harrison does over the next few years, he seems like he is next in line to take the throne.

Drafting Flagg will no doubt bring much-needed buzz to the Mavericks, but without a general manager fans can trust, it's hard to see much getting done in this current championship window. Flagg will no doubt become a day one starter and a piece for the Mavericks to build around, but Harrison has continued to show fans why he needs to be replaced.

Riccardi has proven over the last month that he could potentially become a Harrison replacement in the future with his public appearances on podcasts like 'Studio 41'. During that episode, Riccardi mentioned how the Mavericks' championship window has only grown and that they anticipate Flagg will become the focal point of the franchise.

Riccardi would be the ultimate Harrison replacement, considering he has worked under him for three seasons now and is only just making a name for himself amongst fans. Riccardi could be the perfect hire, assuming Harrison does get fired, considering his background in Dallas and being connected with the organization for multiple years.

It's unclear how close Harrison is to losing his job as the general manager, but there is reason to believe he could be on the outs if the Mavericks fail to make a deep playoff push next season. There are many reasons fans want Harrison out of Dallas, and with Riccardi becoming a likeable figure amongst fans, Harrison's job security could be at an all-time low.