The Dallas Mavericks are still hovering around the bottom of the Western Conference standings after ending their week with a loss sealed by a controversial offensive foul call.
And things are bad enough now that we’re starting to hear whispers of a possible Anthony Davis trade before February’s deadline.
Of course, that should have been on the table before this campaign even started. As soon as the basketball gods blessed Dallas with the No. 1 pick in June, the most logical path forward was a rebuild around Cooper Flagg (who missed his first game on Wednesday). However, that was never going to happen with Nico Harrison, the architect of the disastrous Luka Dončić trade, at the helm.
Now that the executive who was most invested in this experiment is gone, Dallas can scrap it and do what’s best for the long-term health of the franchise. That includes making just about every veteran available, trying to recoup as many picks and as much young talent as possible.
It also means trying to tailor a roster that fits Flagg’s game, rather than shoehorning him into all-forward lineups that have contributed to the Mavs having the worst offense in the NBA.