IZTOK DIAGNOSES DECLINE OF MAVS OFFENSE

[F Gump]

Maybe. 

With due respect to Nico, I don't think he had the stature and gravitas to be imposing power conditions wrt a job he had never done before. 

Actually, I can find a way to believe that giving Nico partial reins could have been a rational decision by Cubes, despite Nico's lack of qualifications. "We need to hire someone in a hurry, and for what I need him to do, he'll be fine."

When you are saying the Mavs should not have given the reins to someone like that, I certainly agree with you. Nico did not have "the stature and gravitas" as a GM to make demands. The Mavs needed someone who would already KNOW how to do the job expertly, or near that, not learn it over time in the Mavs offices.

But (1) Cuban would argue otherwise as to Nico's degree of qualifications for the job, and (2) the negotiation was what it was, not necessarily as it "should have."

Most importantly, based on how all the parties described it, [typo edited] Cuban, not Nico, was the one pursuing "Nico as GM" --- Cuban wanted the deal the most. That gave Nico control, justified or not, to set terms and conditions, even though Nico was not bringing any GM expertise whatsoever to the table. Plus, Nico has said explicitly that he made it a condition that he would make the GM-ing decisions, so there's that. No one has said otherwise.

Cuban's weakness as a negotiator cannot be denied, and there's no reason to think this was any different.

IMO This was classic Cuban style - to try to discover an answer no one else would have considered. Less expensive hire, perhaps, given the lack of a track record. But once he was set on having to have Nico be the hire, then Nico could define parameters, which it has always sounded like he did.