Mavericks reporter says the quiet part out loud about Nico Harrison's offseason

There is zero doubt among Dallas Mavericks fans that the team has had an impressive offseason thus far. While the Mavericks are still a few moves away from calling their summer over, as they will need to create a roster spot with a salary dump-type trade before the season starts, Nico Harrison and the front office have done an impressive job with the tools they were given.

For starters, the Mavs lucked out when they won the 2025 lottery and were able to select Cooper Flagg with the first overall pick, who is not only a good problem away from becoming a superstar, but he could arguably be the best acquisition of the summer from any team. Not only has Flagg already changed the course of Mavericks history forever, but all signs are pointing to him being a great addition alongside Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis.

Although the Mavericks have made other moves, there is no denying that Harrison has had an impressive summer despite what some fans may say. Not only was drafting Flagg a home-run deal, but Harrison transformed Dallas' bleak future into one that could be brighter than ever.

Harrison and the Mavericks are finally getting much-needed credit

By no means has Harrison earned the respect of the fans this summer, but it's unfair not to give him and his front office credit for the moves they have made since the season ended.

While it isn't popular to give props to someone like Harrison, in The Athletic's recent offseason grades, Christian Clark was quick to give the Mavericks an impressive "A" for their offseason ranking.

"Mavericks fans have reason to hope again. The team lucked into the No. 1 pick and selected Cooper Flagg..." Clark wrote. "Dallas has enjoyed some smaller wins, too. Convincing Kyrie Irving to decline his $43 million player option for next season and re-up on a new deal gave the Mavericks access to the taxpayer midlevel exception, which they used to sign D’Angelo Russell. Daniel Gafford’s extension ($54.4 million over three years) was another piece of good business."

This article not only proves that Harrison is now getting much-deserved credit for the job he has done this summer, but it also shows the Mavericks are once again getting well-deserved respect from the NBA's media.

From drafting Flagg and signing D'Angelo Russell to a smaller short-term contract, Harrison has also done an impressive job with the contract extensions that needed to happen. Entering the summer, the Mavs needed to extend Kyrie Irving and Daniel Gafford, which they did on team-friendly deals, and while it hasn't happened yet, the Mavs are also expected to extend P.J. Washington on August 29.

The Mavericks are also expected to make a trade that will likely happen before the start of training camp, where they could look to dump Jaden Hardy or Olivier-Maxence Prosper's unfavorable contracts to make room to sign Dante Exum.

In other moves, Harrison also revamped Jason Kidd's coaching staff after a mass exodus left the team without a bench of coaches. The Mavericks orchestrated a Frank Vogel assistant coaching return, while also bringing in Phil Handy, who is a well-respected coach around the league.

Once again, it's easy to dismiss Harrison and the Mavericks' offseason moves as luck, but there's no denying that Harrison has helped give Dallas hope once again.

The Mavericks are not only looking to make a return to the playoffs this coming season, but they also have an amazing opportunity to be good for a really long time if Flagg is the player everyone expects him to be.

Fans are awaiting the Mavericks' return to training camp and then their eventual return to the floor on October 6 when they play in their first preseason game.