With just one game remaining until the All-Star break, the Dallas Mavericks and Jason Kidd know that the playoffs are out of the picture this season. They've now lost eight games in a row, the second-longest losing streak in the NBA, and Kidd isn't trying to make it seem like they're a team ready to win a title right now.
They're six games back from the final spot in the Play-In Tournament, and Kidd knows that the priority for the remainder of the season is "development."
Last week, the day after Dallas traded Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards, Kidd was asked about the team's goal and priorities for the upcoming handful of games. This trade changed the Mavericks' direction significantly with just over two months remaining in the regular season, and Kidd understands that.
Mavericks fully shift toward their new Cooper Flagg timeline
"Playing hard. Developing, playing hard," Kidd said. 'Ryan, Moussa, these guys, this is a great opportunity for them."
The Mavericks have a ton of work to do before they're a playoff team again, and fans should love that the team is focusing on development right now. They have plenty of young players who need as many reps as possible, and Kidd will likely give these players more chances than usual to show off their talents.
While Ryan Nembhard and Moussa Cisse are both running out of two-way eligibility, Kidd obviously needs to play them as much as possible when they're active and available. The Mavs have made it clear that they'd like to convert both players' two-way contracts to standard deals, and the final 29 games of the season may end up being a dress rehearsal of who they should sign first.
On top of this, Cooper Flagg now gets full control of the offense. The Mavericks don't have to worry about wins and losses anymore, and Flagg can explore his full offensive bag.
In his last seven games, Flagg is averaging over 22 shots per game. While a major increase in volume would lead to a decline in field goal percentage for most players, that hasn't been the case for the 19-year-old. He is shooting over 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from downtown during this time, and he's looking like he could turn into one of the best players in the NBA over the next few years.
Flagg wouldn't get to have this dramatically increased offensive role if Dallas were going all-out for a playoff spot, especially if Davis were still on the roster and Kyrie Irving was a lock to return this season, and now the Mavericks get to take a step back.
They can focus on the young guns getting minutes and improving, all while figuring out who the right pieces are to build around Cooper Flagg. He became their franchise cornerstone the second that the Mavs traded Davis to the Wizards, and the Mavericks are already in the middle of the perfect plan to get him the co-star of fans' dreams.
By organically tanking.
The Mavs are obviously much worse without Davis on the floor than with him (when he's healthy), and with him off the roster, they're going to drop a lot of games. Dallas should put themselves in an optimal place to pick somewhere in the top eight of the 2026 NBA Draft, and they'll have plenty of young studs to choose from to pair with Flagg.
This wouldn't be the case if the Mavericks were trying to win as many games as possible and return to the playoff picture, and now they have the chance to secure one of the most promising futures in the NBA by landing a star in the draft.
There is still plenty of basketball to be played this season, and while Mavericks fans may be hurt that the team is set to miss the NBA Playoffs for the third time in four years, it's for the best right now. Cooper Flagg needs a running mate, the young players need to grow in their roles, and Dallas needs the best possible odds to move up in the draft lottery.
Jason Kidd is going to put them in a good position to do all of these things, and fans' dreams of the Mavericks landing a top pick in the draft could end up being much more of a possibility than anyone realizes.