Even before he's donned the royal blue and silver threads in Durham, North Carolina, the idea of Cooper Flagg coming to Dallas has negated the anguish of a few months ago when Nico Harrison went rogue and traded franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic.
Flagg will need time to accumulate Doncic's five All-NBA selections and Finals berths, but the potential of the 18-year-old on both ends of the floor is enough to awaken the Mavericks’ fanbase.
Despite Harrison's claims, even with Flagg, the roster likely isn't talented enough to lift the Larry O'Brien trophy right away, but once the Duke product acclimates himself to the pro game, the sky's the limit.
That's why one FOX Sports analyst is befuddled at the notion of Jason Kidd jumping ship to coach in the Big Apple.
On a recent episode of his show "The Herd," Colin Cowherd questioned why the Hall of Fame guard would want to coach the Knicks with Flagg's imminent arrival.
"I think the Knicks' issues are personnel and contracts—it's not coaching," Cowherd said. "There is no way I'm leaving Dallas with Flagg coming from Duke. Cache: Knicks. Cash Cow: Cooper Flagg in Dallas. He's the best domestic player in a decade plus."
There's almost certainly some pent-up aggression under the surface between Kidd and Harrison regarding the stunning Doncic deal.
If Flagg isn't instantly a success, Kidd will be the natural scapegoat.
It makes sense for Kidd to want to escape before he's forcibly removed by management, but New York should not be the next destination. They don't have a championship core and have little capital to rectify that problem.
Kidd's move should be staying with the Mavs for the next few seasons, and seeing how rapidly Flagg can progress, hopefully evolving to the cornerstone of a bona fide contender.