The Dallas Mavericks are set for the first full season of the post-Luka Doncic era, and results could be underwhelming.
Going into next season, the Mavericks might be one of the toughest teams in the league to predict. With Kyrie Irving set to miss a large chunk of the season, the Mavericks will be relying on Cooper Flagg to grow up quickly upon making his NBA debut.
Add in the always banged-up Anthony Davis, and the Mavericks are far from a lock to make the playoffs. Considering almost everyone in Dallas missed some time with injuries last season, there is almost no way of knowing how this current roster actually fits with such little time playing together.
Nico Harrison tried to make some extra moves around the edges this offseason, most notably signing D’Angelo Russell, who will likely be the starting point guard in Irving’s absence. Considering all of the uncertainty in Dallas, it’s quite easy to peg the Mavericks as one of the many teams that will be on the fringe of the postseason picture next season.
In a recent [Bleacher Report](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25235718-win-loss-predictions-every-team-after-2025-26-nba-schedule-release) article, Andy Bailey projected the Mavericks to finish 42-40 next season. That record would be a three-win improvement over last season but still far from where the team was just a couple of years ago on its way to an NBA Finals appearance.
Still, the Mavericks could surprise some people, especially with some health luck and an early Flagg breakout. But for now, the Mavericks simply have to be placed in this tier.