You're hired as the Mavericks new GM. What is your gameplan for the next 5 years?

[guynumber45]

You're hired as the Mavericks new GM to take over after the Nico Harrison debacle. What is your gameplan for the next 5 years?

Key notes

You have your 2026 1st rounder(Which happens to be in a very loaded draft class)

Your 2027 pick is top 2 protected. Otherwise, it conveys to Charlotte

Your 2028 pick can be swapped by OKC(This pick is pretty much gone)

Your 2029 pick can be swapped by Houston(Also likely gone)

Your 2030 pick is swappable by the Spurs

[Domejandro]

Realistically, I would punt this season while giving time to Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis to get healthy. From there, reevalutate where the roster is at after the the Draft Lottery. I think that the strategy of fully tearing the roster down isn't realistic (especially given the health-issues depressing the value of their top players), so punting a season and trying to put together a solid squad going into the 2026/27 season is the correct approach.

If a great trade is on the table that rebuilds the team's assets, it is obviously worth exploring, but I wouldn't expect it.

[Catchall]

1) Tank this year and get a top 6 or 7 pick to pair with Cooper Flagg.
2) Let Kyrie rehab and build back his value over the next 18 months.
3) Move AD at the deadline, while he still has some value. Try to get attractive draft capital, or see if there's an SGA-type trade to be had.
4) Reset the timeline and trade out other guys that don't fit--e.g., Klay Thompson.
5) Listen to offers on some of the others who are non-essential as well--e.g., PJ Washington.

You're now rebuilding around an 18 y.o.

[sp6r=underrated]

Honestly, the first step for the Mavericks is rebuilding trust with their fanbase. If that requires trying to win around this core you do it even though that means accepting a low ceiling. If by contrast the fans just want AD/Kyrie gone for a fresh start you trade them. But rebuilding trust with the fans is the first step not trying to maximize title odds.

[Statlanta]

find the a star PG on Flagg's timeline and make sure his head is screwed on straight and is not like Morant.

[chrbal]

1- rebuild connection with the fans and community.

2- curse Nico for all the nonsense with your near future 1sts (the swaps and such.

3- buy low on someone like Devin Carter and see if a change of scenery helps them. Not saying they’re going to be amazing, but it could be an interesting cheap risk.

4- pray some team looks at D’Angelo like he’s a good cheap option.

5- you’re probably stuck with Kidd for a while. I don’t think it’s an awful thing.

6- Hope for draft luck again and realize you can’t really change much up until after next season anyway

[chilluminati]

Realistically, I would punt this season while giving time to Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis to get healthy. From there, reevalutate where the roster is at after the the Draft Lottery. I think that the strategy of fully tearing the roster down isn't realistic (especially given the health-issues depressing the value of their top players), so punting a season and trying to put together a solid squad going into the 2026/27 season is the correct approach.

If a great trade is on the table that rebuilds the team's assets, it is obviously worth exploring, but I wouldn't expect it.

This. It's worth noting that Nico's vision for a team still hasn't played together. The names on that roster constructs a team that makes the playoffs once healthy. By no means am I being a Nico defender, but I want to see what he was cooking up. They'll probably never be healthy for a long enough period of time for us to see it, but rebuilding right now is not the right choice as Domejandro said.

[jokeboy86]

Honestly, the first step for the Mavericks is rebuilding trust with their fanbase. If that requires trying to win around this core you do it even though that means accepting a low ceiling. If by contrast the fans just want AD/Kyrie gone for a fresh start you trade them. But rebuilding trust with the fans is the first step not trying to maximize title odds.

This is the number one priority in my opinion. The modern sports fan has a short attention span and their patience is the thinnest it's probably ever been in history. This used to be reserved for only teams like the Lakers, Yankees, Knicks and Cowboys but now I think it his expanded to basically every fanbase in the pros and also any Power 5 mfb/mbb team. I have a feeling Cooper not lighting it up as a supernova right away, not looking like he's going to run away with ROY, and also ratings/ticket sales(probably the biggest reason) is possibly why Mavs ownership fired Nico. And in a market like Dallas(run by the Cowboys and football in general) they're concerned that fan interest could turn into apathy and they become irrelevant fast. That's my theory why the Bucks will give Giannis whatever he wants(including signing as many brothers as possible) as long as humanly possible because they're deathly afraid that the second he's no longer on the team, modern fans will immediately ignore the team, not pay attention again(ex 90s/00s), and local revenue/ratings will plummet until they get another star.

[316Hornets]

That 2027 pick is tough. Start a tank and gamble on top 2 pick in 2027 or just tank this season?

I think they have to just completely tank this year and find the most NBA ready guy in the draft. Klay, Kyrie, and AD should probably be all traded for draft picks or a younger star. Then, aim for playoffs 2027.

[MrGoat]

That 2027 pick is tough. Start a tank and gamble on top 2 pick in 2027 or just tank this season?

I think they have to just completely tank this year and find the most NBA ready guy in the draft. Klay, Kyrie, and AD should probably be all traded for draft picks or a younger star. Then, aim for playoffs 2027.

The 2027 pick only has a 25% chance or so to be protected even with the worst record in the league so they would need Silver's assurance that it would be top 2 to consider a full tank that year. That's why tanking now for the 2026 pick in this draft is so important

[Petergrifindor]

Trade old (Kyrie and AD) for new and picks.

Tank the season.

Fire Kidd when the tanking is done.

[Patches Perry]

Build around Flagg and Lively. Everyone else is fair game with the right deal.

Trade AD for expirings, 1sts and perhaps a young prospect.

Trade Kyrie for 1sts/young prospects. He has a goodish contract so he might yield a nice return, but you'll have to let him come back and play his value back up.

Rebuild culture (which might require canning Kidd). Create financial flexibility. Add pieces brick by brick through the draft and be ready to land a big fish in free agency.

[OriAr]

Not go on a full on tank but give Kyrie/AD a generous time to rehab whenever they need it and take advantage of this year's loaded draft class.
See how things look in June, but assuming a top 7-ish pick I'd start shopping PJ around and see what kind of value he has, if I can get a FRP + somehow get OKC to change the protections around the 2028 swap then it's an easy win.
See what AD + Flagg + new rookie looks like in 2027, and then either trade AD as an expiring (Which means he should still have a lot of value), or if they somehow contend then extend AD for a more reasonable salary.
If at any point someone calls and is willing to pay huge for AD, then always be ready to pivot for the tank and rebuild, only one that should be truly untouchable is Flagg.
Contrary to popular thinking, the Mavs' long-term future isn't doomed, and a shrewd GM + a bit of luck can make them contenders again before the end of the decade.

[AleksandarN]

Trade Flagg for Reaves

[JJ_PR]

Blow up the roster and build around Flagg. Tank this year and get another elite prospect next to him.

[MrGoat]

Go all in on Flagg's development on the court regardless of winning or losing, that is Kidd's #1 priority now. Have a meeting with Adam Silver to know how low a seed I need to ensure the lottery balls fall in our favor again because he gave us a pretty big favor last year with such a large jump so if he wants a little more plausible deniability this time then I can instruct Kidd to coach accordingly. Go all out on upgrading the medical staff to repair Nico's error of firing Casey Smith. Prioritize acquiring draft capital through trades. Younger players like Christie and Lively would be more prohibitively expensive. Be very conservative with Kyrie and AD's injuries and gauge their markets frequently waiting for the right offer. Keep Dwight Powell as the elder statesman of the team for stability and make sure there is at least one more quality high character veteran mentor type around on the roster at all times because the rest of this team is getting younger and it's good to have some of those around on a young team.

[NZB2323]

See if there’s another GM who is dumb enough to trade Luka for AD.

[SHAQ32]

I like how they keep spinning it as Nico trading Luka, or the Mavs traded Luka.

The league traded Luka to the Lakers. And firing the GM isn't going to be sufficient damage control.

[MrGoat]

I like how they keep spinning it as Nico trading Luka, or the Mavs traded Luka.

The league traded Luka to the Lakers. And firing the GM isn't going to be sufficient damage control.

That's not the question, most of us know the league traded Luka to the Lakers. The question is what would you do if you were hired to be the next GM for the Mavericks despite that situation

[jowglenn]

The old Soviet premier was being ousted. He met with the new Premier and handed him two letters. He said, “When you come upon your first great crisis, read the first letter. When you come upon your second great crisis, read the second letter.” And then he began his long exile.

Two years later the new Premier was faced with a great crisis - satellite states were in conflict, the economy was stalling and the people growing restless. Rivals began criticizing his actions. He remembered the two letters, and rushed to his desk drawer, pulled out the first letter and began reading…

“So you have arrived at a crisis eh comrade? Do not fret! There is a simple solution: Blame me for everything! Any failure by your administration is just the remnants and holdovers of my regime frustrating your plans. Promise to root out the saboteurs and this will buy you the time you need!”

So the Premier went to the People’s Congress and gave a fiery speech, denouncing his predecessor and his lackeys. He promised to destroy the saboteurs and shirkers. And it worked! He was given great applause, and the people murmured that finally the strong man would take charge and solve the problems.

But three years later, the festering problems had once again come to a boiling surface. The recent war had gone badly, the people were starving, and rivals were planning a coup all around him. The Premier suddenly remembered! The second letter! He rushed to his desk, pulled it out, and began reading…

“So you have arrived at your second crisis. Fret not for there is a solution: Sit down and begin writing two letters.”