Only Kyrie Irving can save Nico Harrison from looming Mavericks disaster

Ever since the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Nico Harrison has been under plenty of heat, as he has been heavily criticized for this controversial move. Fans have been calling for his job ever since the trade went down, and things only have gotten worse as time has gone on.

From dragging Doncic's name through the mud to publicly saying he didn't know how much Doncic meant to the fan base and more, Harrison has broken fans' hearts more by the day, as the franchise that fans grew to love over the years is nowhere to be found. But not all hope is lost yet for Harrison and the Mavs.

While Patrick Dumont has noted the fan base's endless pleas for him to fire Harrison, it seems like he is going to roll with him for the time being as they head into next season. Firing Harrison would likely send the team into a rigorous rebuild that would make their situation even worse, and Kyrie Irving may be the only person who can save Harrison from losing his job.

Kyrie Irving holds the keys to earning Nico Harrison some respect

Heading into this offseason, Irving has a player option, and if he opts out, he will become an unrestricted free agent. Despite the uncertainty that comes with a player entering free agency, Harrison doesn't seem concerned at all when it comes to keeping Irving in Dallas.

Harrison made it clear during his press conference earlier this week that he fully expects Irving to be back this summer, and all signs are pointing to him throwing Irving a massive contract.

While some of the league may look down upon the way that Harrison traded Doncic behind his back after everything that he gave to the franchise, signing Irving to a lucrative contract just months after he tore his ACL could be the exact move that helps him earn some respect back around the NBA.

If the Mavs were to sign Irving to a huge three-year deal this offseason, as predicted, it would show the entire basketball world how confident Harrison is in Irving's abilities even when the odds are stacked against him. It would also show that when Harrison believes in someone, he will do whatever it takes to keep them happy.

On top of earning Harrison some much-needed respect, signing Irving to a contract extension would also give the Mavs a better chance at landing high-level free agents moving forward. Irving is one of the most well-liked players in the NBA, and even at 33 years old, he is still loved by his peers.

Players still want to play with Irving, and ensuring he is a Maverick into the future will help them land some solid role players to pair alongside him and Davis to give them the best possible chance to build a title-contending team. Harrison has no concerns when it comes to the Mavericks landing free agents in the future, even after the Doncic trade, and players' opinion on him around the league should only improve after he hands Irving a new contract this summer.

Loyalty matters in today's NBA, and while he didn't show Doncic any loyalty, it seems that his loyalty to Irving is alive and well. Harrison's trade for Irving at the end of the 2022-23 season was a major steal for the Mavericks, and it seems like he is fully set on keeping him in Dallas into the future.