“They would blow the whole thing up” – NBA analyst ties Mavericks’ silence on Jason Kidd to Cooper Flagg becoming new face of the franchise 

NBA analyst Chris Mannix tied Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd’s potential departure to Cooper Flagg becoming the new face of the franchise. The New York Knicks have reportedly expressed interest in acquiring Kidd after firing former coach Tom Thibodeau.

Kidd is no stranger to Knicks culture as he ended his career with them in 2013. With New York now having a solid roster featuring Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, they are now in need of a coach who can take them to the next level. Kidd successfully took the Mavs to the 2024 NBA Finals, which they ultimately lost. Nevertheless, it was still a great accomplishment for the coach.

However, Mannix believes that if the Mavericks decide to let go of Jason Kidd, it’s possibly an indication that Cooper Flagg will be the new face of the franchise. The reason behind his logic is that he believes Kidd is the only one capable of coaching guys like Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving. With Kidd out of the picture, it’s a sign that the Mavs might let go of Davis and Irving as well.

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"Jason Kidd is uniquely qualified to coach that (Dallas Mavericks)," Mannix said on "The Kevin O'Connor Show". "He has the relationship with Anthony Davis. Part of the revival of Kyrie Irving has been playing for Jason Kidd. If they let Jason Kidd go ... They would blow the whole thing up.

"That would be the signal that (Dallas Mavericks) would say, 'Alright, we're going to trade (Anthony Davis) and get whatever we can get back. Kyrie, probably no market out there for him given the injury but we won't give him an extension, and we're now Cooper Flagg's Dallas Mavericks,'" he added.

Cooper Flagg headed to green room on draft night

There's no question that Cooper Flagg is highly regarded as the best college basketball player in the USA. He is the projected No. 1 pick of the 2025 NBA draft and is expected to be selected by the Dallas Mavericks. There's no denying how special of a player he is as he also now getting special treatment from the league.

Sources report that Flagg received a green room invitation and will be attending the draft with his family. The green room is a staging area in front of the NBA draft podium. This is where players and their families usually wait for Commissioner Adam Silver to announce the picks of each team during the draft.

While all signs seemingly lead to Flagg going to Dallas, everything remains to be seen until the draft takes place on June 25.

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Itiel Estudillo

Itiel Estudillo is an NBA journalist at Sportskeeda. He played for his basketball teams during elementary and high school. With strong sports writing and journalism skills, Itiel excels in crafting engaging narratives and staying updated with the latest NBA news and trends. He enjoys fact-checking, helping with research, and being a fresh set of eyes on fellow writers' articles.

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