Hey Mavs, TMZ Sports just found your next general manager -- METTA WORLD PEACE!!!
We spoke with the former NBA star this week ... days after the Dallas Mavericks fired Nico Harrison, who was responsible for one of the worst trades in NBA history -- Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis.
We started the conversation by asking for Metta's reaction to the firing ... but he caught us off-guard when he said he wanted to take Harrison's job!!
As we previously reported, White Chocolate made shocking comments on the "Hoopin’ N Hollerin'" podcast on Wednesday ... hinting the Dallas Mavericks hooper's relationship with the rapper might be to blame for his slump this season.
Hoopin' N Hollerin'
"It only takes one p**** to drag a battleship across the desert. That's how powerful it is," WC told Pat Bev. "Klay Thompson, I ain't sayin' that's what it is ... but that might be what it is."
Luka Doncic did his best to sidestep any questions about the Nico Harrison firing on Wednesday ... saying while he'll always have love for the Mavericks fans and players, he's ready to move on and focus on the Lakers.
The Slovenian superstar met with the media after the Purple and Gold's blowout road loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder ... and naturally, he was asked how he felt about the general manager who shipped him to Los Angeles getting canned just nine months later -- and if it provided "closure."
Doncic elected to focus on everyone else in Dallas instead.
Mavericks fans couldn't wait for Nico Harrison to get kicked to the curb after he traded Luka Doncic to the Lakers ... but NBA champ Kendrick Perkins still believes both sides won the infamous deal -- telling TMZ Sports we'll find out if/when Dallas gets healthy!!
Harrison was handed his pink slip on Tuesday ... an inevitable move nine months after the franchise player was shipped to L.A. in exchange for Anthony Davis.
At the time, Perk said he loved the transaction for both sides ... but Mavs backers weren't buying it -- and wanted Harrison gone ASAP.
That's what the former NBA star said on the "Hoopin’ N Hollerin'" podcast on Wednesday, just a week after the Dallas Mavericks announced they were benching the four-time NBA champion, who is averaging just 7.4 points per game, while shooting 26.7% from the three.
The podcast crew, including Patrick Beverly, mentioned Thompson's new relationship with Meg, one of the hottest stars in all of music ... when Williams, a 12-year NBA vet, chimed in.
9:30 AM PT -- Nico Harrison is officially gone -- the Mavs announced Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi will serve as co-interim general managers moving forward.
Mavs governor Patrick Dumont released a statement on the matter ... saying, "This decision reflects our continued commitment to building a championship-caliber organization, one that delivers for our players, our partners, and most importantly, our fans."
Nico Harrison's minutes are numbered in Dallas -- the Mavericks are expected to part ways with the general manager who shipped franchise player Luka Doncic to Los Angeles earlier this year on Tuesday.
The report came from Shams Charania just minutes ago ... who stated the team intends to cut the ties with the former Nike exec at 8 AM PST.
The Mavs are 3-8 so far this season ... but the move was pretty much expected way back in February, when Harrison -- who became the GM in 2021 -- made the head-scratching decision to trade the Slovenian superstar for Anthony Davis.
Megan Thee Stallion and Klay Thompson might've taken a major step in their relationship -- the popular couple appears to now be living together after the rapper's latest social media post.
Meg shared a photo dump on her IG on Wednesday ... giving her 32+ million followers a glimpse of her life lately.
The first pic has everyone talking ... as it features two hands coming together to form a heart with a set of keys -- and many believe one of the mitts belongs to Thompson.
Allen Iversonis offering up NBA advice to Cooper Flagg ... and as a former No. 1 overall pick who went on to become a Hall of Famer -- the Dallas Mavericks star sure would be wise to listen up!!
The Answer doled out several tips to this year's top draft selection while chatting with TMZ Sports just before Flagg's Wednesday night debut.
Iverson's first bit of guidance was straightforward ... as he implored Flagg to take things "one day at a time."
Megan Thee Stallion is officially in her NBA WAG era ... the rapper made her courtside debut at the Mavericks' preseason finale in Las Vegas on Wednesday to support her boyfriend, Klay Thompson.
The "Bigger In Texas" spitter was spotted at T-Mobile Arena for Dallas' exhibition tilt vs. the Lakers ... and she had one of the best seats in the house to catch her man do his thing on the hardwood.
Fans were excited to see Meg supporting Klay, including ESPN's like Kendrick Perkins, who applauded the Mavericks star while live on air for getting a girl like her.
The offseason adventures of Klay Thompsonand his new boo, Megan Thee Stallion,continue ... as the NBA star took the rapper out on the open waters for a fishing trip!!
Klay shared their excursion on his Instagram on Wednesday ... with Meg calling herself the "first mate" to his "captain."
Before the two even left the harbor, the 12-year NBA veteran was feeling some type of way ... saying "you're so fine, baby" as she sat on his lap.
The NBA Hall of Famer shared his thoughts on the coupling on a recent episode of "The Big Podcast with Shaq" ... after co-host Adam Lefkoe brought up the new relationship between the "Savage" rapper and Dallas Mavericks hooper.
The Big Podcast with Shaq
O'Neal, 53, didn't have much to say ... but made it clear to all his listeners where he stands on the couple.
Megan Thee Stallion's taking advantage of Klay Thompson's summer off-season ... the NBA legend was cryptically spotted in her new IG post -- and it's because they're dating!!!
The "Hiss" rapper has a win-win situation with her social media posts doubling as promo for her Hot Girl Summer swimwear line ... but Klay's "Where's Waldo"-esque cameo in the background of her poolside shot was hard to ignore!!!
Meg knows her way around the hardwood ... she was linked with Chicago Bulls player Torrey Craig up until her Coachella performance in April -- but seems like all plays are running through Klay now.
We reached out to Meg's team ... no word back yet, but given her Houston hometown and Klay's current slot with the Dallas Mavericks, seeing each other shouldn't be an issue!!!
Cooper Flagg had a subtle, yet hilarious, reaction to Luka Doncic's name getting dropped during his presser with the Mavericks ... appearing to side-eye Nico Harrison -- the guy who shipped the face of the franchise out of town.
The former Duke Blue Devil was officially introduced on Friday ... just days after Dallas selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
The 18-year-old received a series of questions from the media ... including one from ESPN's Tim MacMahon, who asked Flagg how it felt to be the potential face of the franchise, a role many once expected Luka to fill before "plans changed."
It's been a foregone conclusion for months, but the Mavericks made it official tonight ... selecting Duke University star Cooper Flagg with the first overall pick in the NBA Draft!
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced Dallas' selection from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY ... shocking absolutely nobody, as nearly everyone viewed the 18-year-old as the consensus top pick.
And, as if going first isn't enough pressure by itself ... Flagg will be expected to fill the shoes of Luka Doncic, after the former Mavs superstar was traded to the Lakers for Anthony Davis in February.
Kamala Harris was considering Mark Cuban as her running mate, but the billionaire flat out rejected the campaign, explaining he wasn't the type to play second fiddle ... saying for that reason, I'm out!
Cuban recently joined "The Bulwark" podcast ... when host Tim Miller asked him about "some green room gossip" he'd heard suggesting Mark was on the short list for the veep gig.
Mark Cuban: Harris Camp Asked For VP Vetting Papers by The Bulwark
The former Dallas Mavericks owner declined, saying he wouldn’t make a particularly good Number Two.
Most Dallas fans still haven’t figured out what the heck Nico Harrison was thinking when he traded away franchise player Luka Doncic ... but one former Maverick seems to understand the move at least a little bit -- Brendan Haywood!!
TMZ Sports caught up with the 2011 Mavs champ at LAX this week ... and asked him all about the transaction that sent shockwaves through the league back in February.
Haywood said he's looking at the entire picture ... telling us, "Defense wins championships, that’s what Nico's talking about."
