Mavericks should avoid last season's nightmare by hiring a coach ASAP

The NBA Draft is just four days away, yet the Dallas Mavericks have yet to hire a new head coach, which could introduce some dysfunction if their new head coach isn't aligned with the front office's pick in the upcoming draft. Dallas had a head coach and GM already in place ahead of last offseason, yet this same issue emanated with Nico Harrison signing D'Angelo Russell to a two-year deal, as Jason Kidd didn't see Russell as a rotation-caliber player.

There's no doubt Harrison doesn't come close to comparing to Dallas' new front office of Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz, but this issue could manifest itself again if Dallas doesn't hire a coach within the next few days, as organizational alignment is key when making a selection in the lottery.

Mavs need to hire a coach ASAP for organizational alignment on draft

For instance, if Dallas' next head coach prefers a point guard or two guard next to Cooper Flagg and company next season with the ninth pick, he may be sorely disappointed if Dallas' upper brass repeats their track record of getting a wing or big at No. 9.

The Mavericks are confirmed to be interviewing Terry Stotts, and they have a level of interest in hiring from the collegiate, European, and women's game as well, but it seems unlikely they'll have a new coach hired by the time the draft rolls around on Tuesday unless something materializes quickly. Of course, the right coach would be able to adapt and effectively instill whoever Dallas selects at No. 9 on Tuesday, regardless of position, but this is a risky proposition to bet on by the front office.

Russell was one of Harrison's top targets in free agency last season, only to look virtually unplayable by the time the regular season came around, and the Mavericks can't afford to keep making mistakes like that. This disaster was largely because Kidd and Harrison weren’t in lockstep for this signing, and the Mavs must hire a head coach soon to prevent this from happening again.

Dallas must get this done by free agency at the latest

Luckily, the Mavericks were able to offload Russell in the Anthony Davis trade in February, but this pick at No. 9 is far more crucial, as it should be someone Dallas can build alongside with Flagg in the coming years, especially since they don't control their first-round draft capital until 2031 after this draft.

There's no doubt the Mavericks and Ujiri could still make this selection work, even if they don't hire a head coach by Tuesday, but the risk involved with that decision has to be stated. As vetted as Ujiri is, his tendency to go after bigger-bodied wings and big men in past drafts is notable, and he can't let personal bias get in the way of how Dallas' roster should be built for next season.

At this point, it's highly doubtful the Mavericks will hire their next head coach by the time they are on the clock at No. 9 on Tuesday, so the best fans can probably hope for is that they find their guy before the start of free agency in July. If the draft can't provide an effective deadline to get their head coach vacancy filled, then hopefully free agency can, as organizational alignment will be needed this offseason, even if Ujiri and company are the ones ultimately calling the shots.

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