Dallas Mavericks fans have been hoping that the team's entire focus would be on building around Cooper Flagg at the trade deadline, and ESPN's Tim MacMahon confirmed this report earlier this week. ESPN revealed that the Mavs' focus has been a Flagg-led future, not a desperate win-now push, since the moment they won the NBA Draft Lottery, and Mavs fans should be thrilled that they are leaning in this direction.
"Every personnel decision from this point will be viewed through the prism of maximizing the Mavericks' potential to build around their teenage prodigy and his future," MacMahon reported.
The Mavericks aren't messing around here. They know that Cooper Flagg is their franchise cornerstone, and they're no longer forced to compete for a title over the next few years. Nico Harrison's decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis put the Mavericks in a deep hole, but Flagg's presence has singlehandedly pulled them out of it.
Mavericks make Flagg their franchise cornerstone at the perfect time
He plays like a seasoned veteran despite being just 19 years old, and he was truly the only thing that could keep the Mavericks from turning into a dumpster fire this season. Harrison's decision to bet on Davis remaining healthy as a No. 1 option for Dallas backfired horribly, and Dallas has decided that they would be much better off if they made Flagg their sole focus rather than trying to bring in pieces that fit Davis and his timeline.
This is likely a big reason that the Mavs have been exploring trades for Davis for months now, and Flagg, along with Kyrie Irving, are the only two untouchable players on the roster. This is a clear indication that the Mavs are poised to be sellers rather than buyers at the deadline, and anything could happen over the next day or so.
Tuesday brought forth several trades across the association, including James Harden heading to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Jaren Jackson Jr. being traded to the Utah Jazz, and we could see the Mavericks get in on the action before February 5. They have several players that are in some serious trade rumors, including Klay Thompson, Daniel Gafford, and D'Angelo Russell, and none of these players seem to fit Cooper Flagg's long-term timeline to begin with.
Gafford can't remain on the court, Thompson wants to play for a contender, and Jason Kidd has completely stopped playing Russell. Selling off these assets could help the Mavericks return to relevance next season, with it looking like they're lottery-bound this season. Despite Mavericks fans mostly being fine with the team potentially moving on from Gafford, Thompson, and Russell, they wouldn't be okay with the team moving on from Naji Marshall.
Dallas would like to keep Marshall, and he'd like to remain with the Mavericks, but the fact of the matter is that they may receive a trade offer that is too good to turn down at the trade deadline. Marshall and Flagg have formed a deadly on-court duo this season despite injuries happening all around them, and some contender could end up offering some serious change for the breakout swingman.
The Mavs keeping or trading Marshall will reveal how much they actually value him, and regardless of what they do here, it's great news that Dallas is building around Flagg and trying to put the best squad around him. They're embracing that the former foundation of the squad was never strong enough to win a title, and a Flagg-centered trade deadline should potentially bring forth draft capital, expiring contracts, and young talent.