The Dallas Mavericks (19-35) have sharply fallen out of the play-in race, seven games behind the 10th-place Los Angeles Clippers in the West. As Dallas enters the final third of the season, the Mavericks are looking to snap a nine-game losing streak. As play-in hopes continue to dwindle, the Mavericks will take a serious look (if they haven’t already) at “tanking” to maximize draft positioning ahead of the loaded 2026 NBA Draft.
Cooper Flagg is THE guy
The first reason is obvious — let’s just keep watching Cooper Flagg.
Not enough can be said about the 19-year-old from Duke. He stepped onto the NBA hardwood with sky-high expectations, being one of the highest-touted players this century, in the same conversation as guys like LeBron James, Victor Wembanyama, and Zion Williamson. Flagg has not disappointed.
In his rookie campaign, Flagg is averaging 20.4 points per game, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. He’s also proved his value defensively, averaging 2.0 stocks (steals and blocks) per game. Curious what other rookies have averaged 20-6-4? It’s a small list – Luka Doncic, Tyreke Evans, LeBron James, and Oscar Robertson. That’s good company.
One of Flagg’s strengths is his ability to adjust, and he’s done just that over 54 games. In his first 10 games, Flagg averaged 13.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. By most rookie measuring sticks, these are great numbers. But with Flagg came higher expectations, and he’s delivered. Over his past 10 games, Flagg is averaging 25.3 points per game, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists, including a stretch where he scored 30+ points in four consecutive games against the Celtics, Rockets, Spurs, and Hornets.
These numbers, even for Flagg, are almost too impressive to comprehend. It’s easy as a Mavericks fan to be spoiled with numbers coming off the Luka Doncic era, thinking these are normal. They aren’t normal. Cooper Flagg is not normal. He’s already shown the ability to be a generational talent. The path to contention could come quicker than previously expected. The only thing the Mavericks have to do is surround their star with the right talent.
Who are the two-way guys?
Dallas will probably lose a lot of games during this final stretch. But the roster still has enough rotational talent to win enough games to keep them from a free-fall collapse. That means some decisions will be made on who suits up each night. Don’t be surprised to see some “phantom” injuries, those we didn’t know anything about, show up more on injury reports. Don’t be surprised if Dallas sits players for rest or injury management, including Flagg, who was seen wearing a boot on his injured foot during the NBA All-Star break. If the goal is to optimize draft position, the Mavericks may have to shorten the rotation and give the two-way players consistent minutes. Suit up Ryan Nembhard, Moussa Cisse and Miles Kelly. You’re up.
Dallas has no incentive to be bad next season since it doesn’t own its own draft pick. The focus will likely shift to getting back into the playoff picture. Good teams need depth. Playoff teams need depth. These last 28 games should be an opportunity for the two-way players to prove they can be valuable rotation pieces, even if they’re the 10th, 11th, and 12th guys off the bench.
As we’ve learned in the last two seasons, every healthy body matters. Nembhard (6.7 points per game, 4.9 assists, 1.8 rebounds) has shown signs of brilliance, but does his size ultimately matter as he reverts to the mean? Cisse (3.7 points, 4.5 rebounds) is the Energizer Bunny, but he’s raw and inexperienced. Can he show enough discipline to stay out of foul trouble and play double-digit minutes on a nightly basis? Kelly (2.8 points, 1.6 rebounds) can shoot the lights out, and Dallas desperately needs shooting. But can he string together higher volume shooting nights at a high percentage? All these questions should have some answers by the end of the season.
Who are the new guys?
The rotation has changed a lot since the February 5th trade deadline. The blockbuster deal that sent Anthony Davis, Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell, and Dante Exum to the Washington Wizards got the Mavs a return of Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Marvin Bagley III, and Malaki Branham. Dallas re-routed Branham to the Charlotte Hornets for Tyus Jones.
That’s a lot of new names. Do any of them have a spot in the rotation next year? Now is the time to find out. The good news for the Mavericks is that the rest of the season for the newcomers is a free tryout. The new Mavs on expiring deals going into the offseason include Middleton ($33.2M), Jones ($7.0M), Johnson ($3.0M), and Bagley ($2.2M). Middleton sticks out as the obvious rental, since the 34-year-old is taking up a good chunk of cap space. However, if he decides he wants to stay in Dallas on a new deal, a cheaper version of the veteran may be an option. You know what you get with Middleton — a mid-range assassin who’s on the back end of his career but can still give you 20 points on any given night.
The other guys are interesting. The Mavericks will always be somewhat tied to Bagley because he was taken a spot earlier by the Sacramento Kings, over Luka Doncic. For being the second overall pick, Bagley has had an underwhelming career, averaging 11.8 points and 6.5 rebounds. But he’s still only 26 and hasn’t been in many great winning situations, which can impact a player’s production. He’s had stops in Memphis, Detroit (before they were good), Sacramento, and Washington. Bagley could find some revitalization in Dallas, and if he does, he could be worth keeping.
Johnson was taken 23rd overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2024 NBA Draft, and he just hasn’t seen the floor much. The 21-year-old is a high-flying and athletic wing who had high upside coming out of the Next Stars program in the NBL. With more minutes, he can prove he deserves a spot in the rotation.
Jones has been heavily sought after within the Mavs organization for years, and now they have him. His craftiness and ability to facilitate are needed this season, but do the Mavs have room for him next year? If the Mavs convert Nembhard to a standard NBA contract, they wouldn’t have much reason to re-sign Jones this offseason. He’s 29 years old and undersized at 6’0. With Kyrie Irving returning next season, the point guard position quickly gets crowded. Jones’s career averages of 7.4 points per game, 4.3 assists, and 1.0 steals are good, but probably not good enough to justify keeping him on the roster, unless it’s on a veteran’s minimum deal.
The new players have the opportunity to get re-established in Dallas as the Mavericks go full throttle in the Cooper Flagg era.
Don’t worry about wins and losses
The end of the season may not be pretty, but the goal should be seeing what the Mavericks currently have. What assets are good enough to keep around for the Cooper Flagg era? There’s no doubt Flagg will leap to stardom soon, and he’s worth watching every night. The only question is who’s going to be on the ship when the Mavericks start winning again. Dallas returns to play Friday, February 20, in Minnesota. Tipoff against the Timberwolves is set for 6:30 PM on ESPN.
