Carlos Boozer, former NBA All-Star and one-time teammate of LeBron James, recently went on ESPN’s Get Up and had high praise for Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison and the roster he’s assembled—even in the face of one of the most snakebitten seasons in recent memory.
While the Mavericks’ 35-37 record currently ties them for the 10th seed in the Western Conference, Boozer believes this team has the potential to be a true contender when fully healthy.
“I actually like this team when they’re completely healthy. Kyrie was having an outstanding season. I think Gafford made a huge step from when he was at the Wizards to coming to Dallas. Lively has been another step as well.”
“AD in the middle, the scoring, the rebounding, the assisting, the shooting of Klay Thompson. They have PJ Washington—we forgot about him. He’s like the forgotten man. They have great pieces on that team.”
“Nico did a good job of putting a really good team together for now. So, for next year, they’re going to be a contender if they’re healthy.”
Boozer’s assessment speaks to a vision that Harrison built around versatility, defense, and big-game scorers.
It was a bold midseason trade that shook the NBA landscape: Dallas dealt away franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic and brought in Anthony Davis.
Pairing AD with Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, and promising bigs like Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II was seen as a win-now gamble that could reenergize the franchise.
However, things quickly fell apart.
Davis went down with an injury in his debut, missing weeks. Gafford, who had just started finding rhythm as an energy big, suffered a setback shortly after. Then came the devastating blow: Kyrie Irving tore his ACL, effectively ending his season and possibly jeopardizing his availability for a chunk of the next one. Within 30 days, the Mavericks’ vision for an instant title run unraveled entirely.
At one point, the injury crisis was so severe that the Mavericks had just seven available players. There were real fears they might have to forfeit games if one more player went down. That’s how dire it got.
Still, Boozer’s optimism stems from the long-term structure in place. Harrison, who came into the GM role from Nike’s executive ranks, has built a flexible, modern roster that has everything a contender needs—size, shooting, elite scoring, interior defense, and multiple ball handlers.
A healthy core of Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, and PJ Washington, complemented by a frontcourt rotation of Gafford and Lively, with additional depth from Naji Marshall and Max Christie, makes the Mavs a team to watch in 2025–26.
This season may not yield a deep playoff run, but the foundation has been laid. If Kyrie returns to form by the All-Star break next season, and Davis stays healthy, Dallas has the roster to make serious noise. Boozer’s take may seem optimistic now—but with a little luck, Harrison’s vision could deliver big dividends soon.
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