When the Dallas Mavericks traded away Luka Doncic, it was an understandably upsetting situation given the seismic shock it sent through the fanbase. But just a few short months later, the Mavs are in maybe as good a situation as ever to get back to the level of one of the top contenders in the Western Conference.
Losing a player like number 77 is naturally going to cause some doom and gloom. After all, plenty of fans in Dallas never saw him leaving, and the news that dropped back at the start of February turned the world of the fanbase upside down. Doncic jerseys that people assumed would be worn for decades were suddenly relegated to a box in the attic.
That circumstance led many to believe that Dallas was going to be heading into an extended period of being a non-conteder. Even with Anthony Davis at the helm, it seemed like this roster didn't make a ton of sense. Or at least not in the way it did before. The best-case scenario felt like a play-in appearance without a true obvious number one superstar.
And then in May, everything changed when Cooper Flagg entered the equation. Now, the Mavericks have their clear star player of the future, and all of a sudden the roster around him is beginning to make a lot more sense.
The Mavs' roster makes a lot more sense with Cooper Flagg at the center
Initially, it appeared as though the injury to Kyrie Irving would have the potential to really throw off the trajectory this team was set to be on. Dallas' backcourt lost a lot of ball-handling and scoring ability when it was announced that Irving would have to miss the start of the 2025-26 season.
But then the Mavs made a brilliant move by going out and signing D'Angelo Russell. That landed them a solid backup ball-handler that will be able to step into a starting role and shoulder much of the offensive responsibility
The duo of Daniel Gafford and AD in the frontcourt creates a fearsome defensive duo, and guys like Klay Thompson and P.J. Washington seem primed for high-level campaigns. What all this does is create an ideal scenario for a potential budding superstar in Cooper Flagg to develop and flourish.
When you think about the perfect situation for a rookie to enter into as a future number one option, it doesn't get much better than this. Everything is perfectly positioned for Flagg to come along slowly, with the opportunity for him to take on more responsibility at the ready as well.
All this points to the Mavericks being in an excellent position heading into next season. The West remains as stacked as ever, but the pieces are in place for Dallas to compete and be a very tough out every single night.
