Nowitzki felt that the Davis trade to the Wizards is a pivotal move that will officially kickstart the Cooper Flagg era.
One of the most stunning deals ahead of this season's NBA trade deadline was the Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards trade that featured All-Star big man Anthony Davis. While the Mavs were indeed still seeking to trade Davis, no one envisioned the Wizards as his next destination.
Dallas Mavericks / Schedule
Regardless of the deal that happened, Dirk Nowitzki is convinced enough that it was truly time for the Mavericks to pull the plug on Davis and redirect themselves.
"I'll tell you one thing, I think the Mavs fans are happy with this," the Dallas legend said on NBA on Prime. "I think they didn't want to be reminded of what happened a year ago in the Luka trade. So, to me, looking at this deal at first glance, there's not a lot that came back for picks or player-wise.
"So this is all really about financial flexibility for the future. And they got rid of some contracts that were not favorable for the franchise."
The Mavs have sent Davis, D'Angelo Russell, Jaden Hardy and Dante Exum to the Wizards for Khris Middleton, Marvin Bagley III, AJ Johnson, Tyus Jones (via Charlotte), a 2026 first-round pick (via OKC), a 2030 protected first-round pick (via GSW), and three second-round picks.
It was a significant haul for the Mavs, as they aimed to finally move on from Davis just a year after the infamous Luka Doncic trade.
Dallas endured a rough experience with Davis on their side. The star big man has faced injury issues from his last season's acquisition until the Wizards deal happened.
This season, Davis only appeared in 20 games. He was sent to D.C. while still recovering from a left-hand injury, and reports suggest he is expected to sit for the remainder of the 2025-26 season.
"I'm a little disappointed, obviously," Dirk added. "I think when AD actually played with Cooper, they played off each other really, really well. I think that was a solid combo, but we'll never know. I think what this ultimately is now is build around Cooper, go young, see what the next year brings, what the draft brings this summer.
"So ultimately now they're all in on Cooper Flagg and his future, and that's what they're going to build around."
Interestingly, Nowitzki also found a way to drop a subtle jab against former Mavericks top executive Nico Harrison.
Harrison, who executed the Doncic trade that sent Davis to Dallas, infamously claimed that many are now "starting to see the vision" after the franchise miraculously landed Cooper Flagg in last year's lottery with just a 1.8 percent odds.
Nowitzki had a hilarious exchange with Nash regarding this unprecedented event.
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