Shams Charania said ‘Nico Harrison has built arguably the best front line in the NBA’

From playing in the 2024 NBA Finals to selecting Cooper Flagg in the 2025 NBA draft. It’s been one hell of a year for the Dallas Mavericks. Don’t forget that the team traded Luka Doncic in that timeframe. 

Despite the setbacks Dallas faced from trading Doncic to the Lakers, they lucked out and got the #1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft. They selected consensus All-American and 2024-25 National Player of the Year, Cooper Flagg. The addition of Flagg gives Dallas even more depth in its frontcourt. On ESPN’s GetUp Thursday morning, Shams Charania said, “Nico Harrison has built arguably the best front line in the NBA.”

Can the Mavericks contend in the West when Kyrie Irving returns?

“Nico Harrison has built arguably the best front line in the NBA.”

– Shams

(🎥 @GetUpESPN ) pic.twitter.com/62g6XjLKwm

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 26, 2025

The addition of Cooper Flagg to their roster gives the Mavericks a favorable issue. Dallas has exceptional depth in their frontcourt heading into the 2025-26 season. ESPN’s Shams Charania said general manager Nico Harrison “has built arguably the best front line in the NBA.” Cooper Flagg will start at SF, Anthony Davis at PF, and Derrick Liveley II at center. All three players are six-foot-nine or taller.

Davis and Flagg are elite two-way players. It should be a seamless fit for Cooper Flagg in Dallas. He’s a gifted player and is joining a team not too far away from contention in the West. By adding Cooper Flagg, P.J. Washington will likely come off the bench for Dallas in a sixth-man role. He’s started 84 of his 86 games since joining the team in 2023-24. With Flagg on the roster, Washington will have to embrace his new role as a rotational player.

Naji Marshall is another member of Dallas’ frontcourt depth. Ahead of the 2024-25 season, Marshall signed a three-year, $27 million deal with the Mavericks. He played in 69 of their 82 games last season and made 31 starts. He averaged a career-high 13.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. Marshall can come off the bench and be a reliable player for head coach Jason Kidd.

Finally, the Mavericks have backup center Daniel Gafford. He was one of the players that Dallas traded for at the 2023-24 deadline. Last season, Gafford played in 57 games for the Mavericks and made 31 starts. He missed 21 straight games due to injury from mid-February to late March. Dallas has Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis, and Derrick Lively as their starting frontcourt. Naji Marshall, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford will come off the bench. That’s one hell of a six-man unit for the Mavericks.