The Oklahoma City Thunder are the reigning NBA champions, capping off a season where they were clearly the most dominant team all year long. People will always wonder "What if?" about the Tyrese Haliburton torn Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, but that doesn't take away from the season they had. They know how to win, so when one of them talks about the Dallas Mavericks, it's worth noting.
Andrew Hughes of the Sporting News caught up with two-time NBA Champion Alex Caruso at the American Century Championship and asked him a few questions about the upcoming season, including his thoughts on the Mavericks after drafting Cooper Flagg.
READ MORE: Dallas Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving stunned by infamous LeBron James ‘father’ question
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso
Jun 8, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) dribbles the ball against the Indiana Pacers during the second half during game two of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
"We got to see how they're gonna be," Caruso started. "Kyrie [Irving]’s still hurt. He might be out the whole year. He might come back late. A lot of that depends on him."
Kyrie Irving tore his ACL in March against the Sacramento Kings and didn't have surgery until April. Initial reports said he could be back in January or February, but Irving recently tempered expectations, saying he's not going to rush anything, making sure he's 100% healthy when he does return to the floor.
The Mavericks will be an interesting team with the addition of Cooper Flagg until Irving gets back. They have a loaded frontcourt with Flagg, Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, and Naji Marshall, but the backcourt is a little suspect. They signed D'Angelo Russell to fill in at point guard until Irving returns, but hitching oneself to the D'Angelo Russell wagon doesn't always lead to success.
READ MORE: Dallas Mavericks make Cooper Flagg decision after 31-point outburst
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