Nico Harrison was fired as the general manager of the Dallas Mavericks last week, putting a merciful end to the tenure of a man whom fans reviled for making one of the worst trades in sports history. Harrison, of course, sent the beloved Luka Doncic away to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, alienating the fanbase and ultimately sealing his fate as the Mavs limped to a 3-8 start to the season.
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Harrison’s firing was just the first step in what will be a long healing process for Mavs fans. Anything could be on the table next, up to and including a tank and full rebuild around Cooper Flagg. Before they start making moves, though, the Mavs need a new GM.
There’s no telling which direction Team Governor Patrick Dumont will go just yet, but at least one candidate has made himself available. Metta Sandiford-Artest told TMZ Sports yesterday that he’s the man for the job.
“I think I’m suited to be the GM of the Dallas Mavericks,” the artist formerly known as Ron Artest and Metta World Peace said. “The reason I say that is because I’ve got so much experience. I’m 46 years old. I’ve been in Cal State, L.A., Division II women’s basketball for seven years. Also, entrepreneurship, running a business, which is really hard.”
“Running a basketball business will be fairly easy. Running a sports business is fairly easy at the highest level, whether it’s president or general manager, running all operations, so I think they should look at me,” he continued.
On the one hand, how could he do a worse job than Harrison did? On the other hand, his erratic history and lack of front office experience are probably disqualifying, and Mavs fans have been through enough as it is.
Sandiford-Artest said that he tried to become the Knicks’ head coach after the team let Tom Thibodeau go this summer. “It almost happened,” he claimed, “but some people were scared. Some people were hating, actually. I love New York, but I’m totally ready for these opportunities.”
Coach Metta, as he’s known at Cal State now, never played for the Mavs, though he did spend 29 games with the Knicks towards the tail end of his career. Any team looking to hire him has to keep in mind, though, that he’s already announced that he plans to run for president in 2028. Of the United States. So yeah, there’s that to contend with, so it might not be wise to tie Cooper Flagg’s future to that.
