Mavericks' GM predicament has an obvious answer staring them in the face

Since the firing of Nico Harrison, one of the biggest question marks surrounding the Dallas Mavericks organization has been who would be the team's next general manager. While there have been plenty of reports indicating that the Mavericks might look to outside candidates to fill their GM need, the team can't underestimate the job that Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi have done.

It's hard to justify trading Anthony Davis for a scrounge of picks and multiple players on expiring contracts, but Riccardi and Finley have done a superb job. They must at the very least be considered for Dallas' next general manager title. The two in tandem have shaped the early stage of what will be the foundation of the Cooper Flagg era in Dallas, and after being handled a shaky roster with little upside outside of Flagg, they've made the Mavericks a fun destination to look for next season.

Why the Mavericks must look internally to fill their GM need

When names like Brad Stevens, Sam Presti, and Tim Connelly are thrown out as possible candidates for the franchise's next GM, it's easy to jump the gun, especially after a recent rumor that suggests one of those three might listen to a job offer. For the Mavericks, it's still important to look internally when it comes to filling a massive void and not automatically pulling the trigger on a top name.

Not only do both Finley and Riccardi understand the team's needs after taking on the weight of managing the front office for almost a whole season, but with the draft quickly approaching, the two clearly have a vision for the team. After trading Davis, it was not only a big step for the two co-general managers, but it was a leap to suggest that the franchise trusts them to make the right decisions in the future.

By hiring an outside name with a deep resume, the Mavericks may be putting the vision of a Flagg-led Dallas roster in jeopardy. It's still unclear just how much say either Finley or Riccardi has in the ear of Patrick Dumont or Jason Kidd, but it's easy to see that both executives have a similar vision for the future of the Mavericks roster.

Staying the course before the draft makes sense for Dallas

It might be an awkward transition for both Riccardi and Finley to share the same position as general manager, but if Dallas strikes out on some other top names or candidates who have deep resumes, they must maintain the course that both GMs have in store. Reshaping the vision of the Flagg era just before the draft may be a disaster waiting to happen, and it may be one that Dumont doesn't want to deal with the fallout.

Dallas already has plenty of holes for the team to fill out, and adding a faulty draft pick in the mix may be a situation that could all be avoided if people who have been in charge of the team stayed in charge. Dumont and the Mavericks will have plenty of decisions to make this summer as they weigh their options before the draft, but they must continue to look internally as they look for the franchise's next GM.