As the Feb. 5 trade deadline approaches, it’s time for the Dallas Mavericks to reevaluate their path forward in building around Cooper Flagg. Dallas is at a crossroads, left with limited assets and aging, injury-prone sidekicks following Hurricane Nico. Following Anthony Davis’ hand injury and Kyrie Irving potentially nearing a return to play, the Mavericks brass need to shift their priorities to put their young and budding superstar in Flagg in a position to succeed. Success is fragile, and we have all seen how quickly it can be thrown away. It’s key that the Mavericks finally build around their young star the right way. They only have one opportunity to build around Flagg, and here are some key points Patrick Dumont and company need to consider in doing so.
Get serious about your General Manager search
Following Nico Harrison’s dismissal, the Mavericks have opted to run their front office by committee, naming Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi as co-interim general managers. According to The Athletic, the pairing will remain in that position until springtime. This will allow the Mavericks to have access to potential candidates who are currently employed. Dallas clearly prefers having a candidate with prior front office experience after Harrison tore apart the franchise. Harrison took over the reins when the Detroit Pistons hired Dennis Lindsey, previously an advisor to Harrison. Many attribute the success that resulted in the Mavericks 2024 Finals Run to the brains of Dennis Lindsey, and Dallas will have the opportunity to poach him or another executive in the offseason.
When the Adelson family bought the Mavericks, we were told they were the type of people willing to spend money on the team. While we are yet to see that come to fruition, they need to heavily pursue a competent executive to pick up the pieces of Hurricane Nico. Dumont has seemingly committed to getting the Mavericks on the right track to build around Flagg, but deciding who is responsible for getting the job done can be the difference between contention and mediocrity.
A Davis/Flagg/Irving core is nothing more than a concept that will never work
The concept of a Davis/Flagg/Irving core is nothing more than an “on paper” idea that will never pan out. Davis has a history of getting injured about every five games he plays in Dallas. He’s played 20 total games this year, and history is not in his favor for staying on the floor. Add that to Irving’s situation; he’s nearing 33 years old, returning from a year-long absence due to an ACL tear. When he comes back, there is no guarantee that he will be the same player he was last season before the injury. According to reports, Dumont wants to see the trio of Flagg/Irving/Davis play together before making any “premature” decisions on Dallas’ future. This is a losing bet that only hurts Flagg’s growth as a player and the Mavericks ability to build a competent roster around him.
At this point, Davis will at least remain a Maverick through the offseason. It is hard to imagine that there will be a list of teams lining up out the door to acquire his services because of his contract and inability to stay on the floor for more than five games at a time. If the Hawks or Raptors are willing to rekindle trade discussions, Dallas needs to move past the concept of the trio and shift its priorities to building around Flagg’s future.
The Mavericks flushed all of their future draft assets down the drain after spending the last seven seasons building a competitive team around Luka Doncic. Following the 2026 Draft, they don’t own another pick of their own until 2031. They need to be in the market for dealing guys like Naji Marshall and Klay Thompson, who have both driven interest among the league, for first-round picks, and not settle for a deal with a second, or two, thrown in. Dallas would be mistaken to not at least try to call up teams like the Thunder, Spurs, and Hornets to see if there is any interest in sending Dallas one of their picks back. The CBA emphasizes building through the draft, and we have seen how that can lead to success in Oklahoma City. Dallas struggled to draft players to fit around Doncic, and they have to get it right this go-around with Flagg.
Flagg has continued to show over the course of the season that he is a budding superstar, and his 49-point performance Thursday night against the Hornets was another reminder that the sky is his limit. Dallas needs to reprioritize their future to build a competitive team around Flagg, and if the time to realign its focus wasn’t yesterday, it’s now.