As much as NBA teams are trying to have success in any given season, the real tell of being a great organization is if they can set themselves up for sustained success over a longer period. The Dallas Mavericks looked as if they were set up for that success just two short years ago. After making the 2024 NBA Finals, the Mavs were fifth in ESPN’s Future Power Rankings, which ranks teams on a forward-facing three-year timeline.
After falling to 16th overall in the rankings last offseason, Dallas slid
once again in ESPN’s 2026 offseason edition of the ranking, slotting in at 17th in the NBA. Here is what the experts said on Dallas’ position.
Three-year outlook
The Mavericks rank near the middle of the pack in almost every subcategory, so they’re a proper fit for the middle of the pack. On the plus side is the presence of 19-year-old Cooper Flagg, the reigning Rookie of the Year and one of the NBA’s most promising prospects. On the negative side is uncertainty around Dallas’ competitive window, as it’s unclear when Flagg and friends will actually start pushing toward the playoffs. – Kram
It continues to baffle me that Dallas hasn’t been able to get draft capital for some of the veteran players who are on the roster. For a team who isn’t going to compete for anything real in the next few years, they have no reason to be in the bottom third of the league in draft assets. Really, it’s an indictment of the organization that the only category they rank in the upper half of the league in is the thing they can’t control: The city they operate out of. But again, imagine where this roster would be without Cooper Flagg.
Roster question looming
What happens with Kyrie Irving? The nine-time All-Star has not played an NBA game since tearing an ACL in March 2025 and has two years remaining on his contract. With a new front office in place, is Irving on the roster next summer or is he a trade candidate in February? Irving was on pace to average at least 20 points for a ninth straight season before the knee injury. – Marks
Perhaps the biggest question that the Mavericks face this year is the question about Irving. By the time late October rolls around, it will have been 18-months since he last played NBA basketball. No longer a spring chicken, and not getting any younger, will Irving have the tolerance to stick around if this team isn’t a play-in contender?
Bold prediction for 2027-29
Flagg will be the first American-born MVP since Harden in 2018. Can the Mavericks forward reach the summit by 2030? That’s a tough ask given that Wembanyama, Jokic, Gilgeous-Alexander and Doncic will be drawing votes for years to come. But Flagg was incredibly productive as an 18-year-old rookie, and his two-way game should quickly transform Dallas into a winner. LeBron James captured his first MVP during his age-24 season; don’t be surprised if Flagg gets there at a younger age. – Golliver
A Flagg MVP campaign would surely mean the Mavericks are good again, so we can only hope this comes to fruition!
What are your thoughts on the Mavericks’ ranking overall? Personally, I think it feels about right but admittedly, I’m a bit lower on their future than most.
Check out the full set of rankings from ESPN here.
