Nico Harrison hoping Cooper Flagg is his salvation from fanbase hate

Nico Harrison has had a rough few months — but he hopes things are on the up and up.

Harrison, the general manager of the Mavericks, traded away the team’s superstar Luka Doncic in February, but was able to land Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft on Wednesday.

After the shocking Doncic trade was made, Dallas fans turned against the Mavericks exec, and on many occasions, American Airlines Center crowds would chant “Fire Nico.” 

But Harrison seemingly got a reprieve from the NBA after the Mavericks won the draft lottery and got first dibs at picking Flagg, the generational star from Duke.

Now that the pick is in, Harrison said he is hoping Mavericks fans ease up on their criticism. 

“I’m hoping so,” Harrison said Wednesday night when asked if the hate might tone down. “I’m assuming so a little bit, maybe.”

But even during the Mavericks draft party, fans who attended began the “fire Nico” chant once again. 

It seems now the only remedy for the booing and negative chants to die down would be winning.

With Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson alongside him, Flagg might be able to take on some of the load that Doncic now leaves behind. 

Flagg averaged 19.2 PPG and 7.5 rebounds. He joins the frontcourt with a 10-time All-Star in Davis, who, when healthy, is a superstar. 

The Mavericks also re-signed veteran point guard Kyrie Irving to a three-year $119 million deal, though he will miss most of the year after undergoing surgery for a torn ACL. 

If the Mavericks do not get off to a hot start in the first full season without Doncic, those “Fire Nico” chants likely will get stronger and louder. 

“I think it’s win now,” Harrison said. “It’s also win in the future. Eventually, it’s going to be Cooper’s team. We don’t when that transition will happen. So I think win now and then set yourself up to win in future as well.”