Mavericks plot aggressive dream draft night move to supercharge Cooper Flagg era

The Dallas Mavericks are now over a little more than a week away from changing the course of franchise history and selecting presumptive No. 1 overall pick, Cooper Flagg. Flagg will instantly become the talking point and focus of the Mavericks the second he joins; however, despite Dallas' future looking brighter than ever, it's created for a stressful few weeks.

While the New York Knicks' pursuit of Jason Kidd has come to a halt, there's still an outside chance for Kidd to ditch Dallas if Maverick assistant coaches Sean Sweeney and Jared Dudley decide to leave for other rival teams. This could all be noise that fans forget about by the time the season starts, but there's no doubt, Kidd would be the best option to help lead a rising star like Flagg realize his true potential.

With plenty of rumors coming out of Dallas and the draft a little less than a week from taking place, the Mavericks have already begun to express interest in a potential draft-night move that could net them the perfect young player to pair alongside Flagg.

Mavericks are looking to trade into first round and build young core

According to NBA insider and Locked On NBA Big Board host, Rafael Barlowe, the Mavericks are looking to trade back into the first round as well as additional rival teams like the Sacramento Kings and Charlotte Hornets.

With this year's NBA draft class being as deep as it is, it's a no-brainer move for Nico Harrison and the Mavericks' front office to consider all possibilities about trading back into the first round. This is a move that is already supported amongst fans, as this is a clear message from Harrison that the team is focused on building around Flagg and the future of the team.

Flagg will no doubt prove that he can be the face of the Mavericks, and this would be a move by Harrison that indicates he has full faith in Flagg and his abilities to lead the Mavericks into their next championship window. While Flagg has yet to even step onto an NBA floor and prove what kind of player he can be, all signs indicate that Flagg has the potential to be a great player for years to come.

Trading back into the first round would be a popular decision; however, it may mean the Mavericks would need to lose one of Daniel Gafford or P.J. Washington in a presumptive deal.

Assuming the Mavericks do chalk up a trade to get back into the first round, multiple names have already caught fans' eyes with their need for a guard, such as Egor Demin and Walter Clayton Jr. Both college studs would offer Dallas much-needed creation while Kyrie Irving remains sidelined and also give the Mavericks a chance to pair Flagg with a co-star early in his career.

Before the Mavericks acquired the first overall pick, Demin was a name that had fans drooling with his similarities to Luka Doncic and ability to playmake and create offensively at 6-foot-9. The BYU guard has drawn plenty of attention from teams in the late lottery and just outside of the lottery, which could be the draft position Dallas would trade into.

On the flipside, Clayton Jr. has risen in mock drafts after leading the Florida Gators to the National Championship and looking like a true leader on the floor in the process. Clayton Jr. has an uncanny ability to make difficult shots while also playmaking and creating offensive scoring opportunities for teammates with his explosive dribbling.

Trading into the first round isn't something Harrison has shied away from in the past, as in the 2023 draft, the Mavericks famously traded back into the draft to select Olivier-Maxence Prosper with the 24th overall pick.

While it's still unclear what the Mavericks will do come draft night, the Brooklyn Nets and the Atlanta Hawks are one of the few teams that possess multiple first round draft picks, so the Mavericks could look to strike a deal wither one of those teams in an attempt to add to their special draft night.