Nico Harrison's firing gives Timberwolves fans a reason to be thankful

To the surprise of nobody, the Dallas Mavericks fired general manager Nico Harrison today, Tuesday, November 11. Harrison, of course, infamously made the absurd Luka Dončić-Anthony Davis trade. Furthermore, he constructed this team with a clear lack of perimeter shot creation. After a 3-8 start and the Mavericks having the 29th-ranked offense, this seemed like a matter of time.

Now, what in the world does this have to do with the Minnesota Timberwolves, you might ask. While it's pretty simple, the Wolves have incredible organizational stability with one of the most respected executives in Tim Connelly and a superstar in Anthony Edwards. Moreover, something that has gone under the radar with this whole Mavericks fiasco is the ineptitude of owner Patrick Dumont, who, of course, signed off on the trade.

Wolves fans are familiar with what a bad owner can do; they dealt with Glen Taylor for over 30 years. This is the Wolves' first official year under new owners, Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore, which gives fans yet another reason to be thankful.

The Timberwolves' stability and star power give them a clear advantage

I'm not trying to pour salt in the wound of Mavericks fans. Nevertheless, the Wolves' stability is clearly something to be grateful for. To be a successful front office, you have to take risks, but you can't be foolish. That's exactly what Connelly has done since assuming the Wolves' president of basketball operations role in 2022. Both the Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle trades were risky but understandable moves. And they've paid off in a massive way for the Wolves.

Minnesota has now made back-to-back conference finals appearances for the first time in franchise history, and Connelly is a big factor in this success. To have a long-term title window, you need two things at the bare minimum: a star player and a stable organization. This is something many teams simply don't have.

While this is an oversimplification and many factors go into a team's title chances, there's no denying the importance of these two factors. Thankfully, the Wolves have both.

Sure, Minnesota never made a singular move as bad as the Luka trade, but long-time Timberwolves fans know just how much bad ownership and management can set you back. Even if you're a younger fan, I'm sure you know all about the shortcomings during the Kevin Garnett era. Luckily, the Wolves have turned over a leaf and are now title contenders for the foreseeable future.