Mavericks' shocking Nico Harrison replacement plan is hiding in plain sight

Since the firing of former Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, the talks of hiring a new GM have surrounded the Mavs. It would only make sense for the team to hire a full-time general manager before trading a player of Anthony Davis' magnitude; however, speculation surrounding Jason Kidd's interest in a general management role has begun to rise.

After letting Harrison walk, Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont wasn't shy about who the team's new decision-makers were, with himself, Mark Cuban, Matt Riccardi, Michael Finley, and Kidd being those in seats of influence. With Riccardi and Finley being the team's current co-interim general managers, it would make sense to make an internal hire.

But with the team likely waiting until the end of the season, it would make perfect sense if the Mavericks upgraded Kidd's influence and made him the full-time decision maker in the front office. The possibility of this happening has been hiding in the shadows all along, and the reasons behind this are clear.

Why Jason Kidd being Dallas' next general manager makes sense

With as much on-court experience as Kidd has had over his coaching and playing career, he may be a perfect candidate to fill the need for Dallas. With him already being in a seat of influence, being surrounded by former and current Mavericks owners, it may only be a matter of time before the team announces that its former championship-winning point guard is set to take the reins of the general manager's seat.

In a recent Locked On Mavs episode where Tim Cato made an appearance, the NBA reporter suggested that he has heard rumblings of Kidd possibly being the team's next general manager.

"The Jason Kidd rumors are certainly out there," Cato said.

Cato would later add that it's a question of whether or not Kidd would want to make that change from the sideline to the front office. In addition, Cato would say that he had been hearing these rumors surrounding Kidd, even dating back before Luka Doncic was traded.

While all of this is just rumors, everything that the Mavericks have made public when it comes to the process of hiring a general manager would make perfect sense if they are simply waiting for Kidd to finish the season on the sidelines. Trading Davis without hiring a new GM would be extremely risky, but all of this would make sense if they are just going to promote Kidd after the season.

This likely won't be a situation fans will officially know about until after the trade deadline or even over the offseason, but with all signs pointing to the Mavericks wanting to wait until after the season ends to make an announcement, Kidd's name would make perfect sense.

Especially since he has pushed for more control in the past at his previous spots. The Mavericks are already trusting him to be part of the decision-making committee with Riccardi, Finley, Cuban, and Dumont, and he quietly has as much power as anyone in that room.

Kidd not only has all of the experience needed to be an immediate top general manager around the league, but he is also well-connected and has already been described as a player-first type of coach. Putting his experience and connections in a seat of power may be a recipe for success for the Mavericks if the team is truly holding out until after the season to possibly hire Kidd as their next general manager.

The Mavericks already have plenty on their plate with Davis and other trades possibly in the works, and with Kidd already in a position of power since Harrison was fired, the Mavericks may only be passing time before making him the team's next decision maker.