Nico Harrison's disastrous Mavericks saga spirals after baffling Jason Kidd move

The Dallas Mavericks have their eyes set on drafting Cooper Flagg with the number one pick. Both Dallas and Flagg have mutual interest, as Dallas is set to hold a private workout on June 17. Flagg's camp even reiterated that Dallas would be his only visit. This means it is basically confirmed that Flagg will be a Maverick. Dallas drafting Flagg makes perfect sense, as he has all the intangibles to take the team to the next level.

However, one thing that was not confirmed until early this morning was the Mavericks' feelings about coach Jason Kidd. Recently, the New York Knicks made headlines when they expressed interest in hiring Kidd as their next head coach. It's obvious why the Knicks would want Kidd, as he has a proven playoff record and is well-liked by his players.

Dallas, however, waited until this morning to dispel those rumors about the Knicks, as ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the Mavs denied New York's request to interview Kidd. Before today, Nico Harrison and the Mavs' organization watched as teams like the Houston Rockets and the Minnesota Timberwolves shut down the Knicks' request to interview their head coach, but Dallas waited until Wednesday morning to make it clear they wanted to keep Kidd in Dallas.

Harrison dragging his feet on Kidd rumors shows his true colors

For starters, it always seemed doubtful that Kidd would dash for the Knicks. Reports always indicated that Dallas would likely refuse the Knicks' offer to speak with Kidd, but they never seemed certain. That was the problem. Mavs fans have been through enough this past year, and losing Kidd would have only made things worse.

The Mavericks waiting a week to shut down the Kidd chatter is problematic for a couple of reasons. First, it highlights the dysfunction in the organization. The Mavs could have easily put things to rest with a simple leak to the media right after the rumors dropped, just like the Rockets did, and their inability to speak up could be taken the wrong way. Fans might look at it as the Mavericks not having confidence in Kidd's future.

Even after the reports that there was "mutual interest" between Kidd and the Knicks, Dallas drug their feet. While nothing was officially stated, this should have been even more of a reason to shut down the rumors.

This wasn't the first time Dallas had been silent. Back in February, the Mavs traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. This was a move that blindsided many fans, as they believed Doncic would be a Maverick for life. Many questioned the Mavs' ownership and questioned their ability to trade a player like Doncic.

For the longest, Harrison didn't reference or acknowledge Doncic after trading him. It wasn't until his end-of-year press conference that Harrison mentioned him. Harrison reiterated the same phrase, "defense wins championships," when mentioning why the team traded Doncic. It was something that baffled fans, as they questioned his motives. Why wait two months after the trade to discuss it?

So, Harrison's silence is nothing new. It just shows how the Mavs' management is rough. They have a general manager who loves to hide behind the scenes and only cares about his reputation. Harrison even said that the Mavs' championship time frame is 3-4 years from now. This is something that he correlates with his current contract. Harrison has three years left on his contract, and it's possible he might leave after.

Harrison has stated before that he plans to finish out his contract in Dallas, but never discussed his plans after. Mavs' fans take that how you want, but it's clear Harrison only cares for himself. This could be dangerous for the Mavericks, as they are looking to contend for years to come, not just the next three.

If Harrison cared about the Mavs' organization, he would shut down the Knicks' interest in Kidd right away rather than waiting until the Knicks formally asked. He could then sign Kidd to a contract extension, as this would detail Dallas' true feelings.

However, as mentioned, the prolonged silence was nothing new.

Harrison and the Mavs finally acted, though it was just way too late. He needed to stop the Knicks from interfering in the team's future plans way earlier than he did. Dallas is set to draft Cooper Flagg with the first pick, and that should be the team's top priority. The Jason Kidd rumors should have never gotten this far.