Dallas Mavericks players (from left) forward Cooper Flagg, P.J. Washington, Dereck Lively II, Kyrie Irving, Max Christie and Dwight Powell celebrate on the bench during the second half of an NBA preseason basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Dickies Arena on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Fort Worth.
Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer
Dallas Mavericks coach Dusty May might be new to the NBA, but he’s fully aware of the conversation that takes place when practice footage is released to the public.
Since the start of training camp, fans have carefully observed the color of each player’s jersey in the team’s teaser clips of practice. Darker colors are traditionally reserved for those in the starting lineup, while reserves usually wear white or lighter colors. The combinations may vary depending on the coach, drill and situation, but it’s common for fans to speculate who belongs to the first unit.
May advises those looking for a peek into his game plan to tread lightly, because he hasn’t decided on a starting lineup.
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“Obviously, I’m on social media and I’ve seen the [chatter] about first team and second team,” May said after Wednesday’s practice. “We haven’t really settled into that now. We’re more or less looking at two-and-three-man lineup combinations. … So anyone that has any speculation on the first five and the second five, please let me know, ’cause I have no idea.”
With all due respect to May, let’s indulge in a little speculation, or at least outline what we know.
The head coach said the lineup will be fluid throughout the season, especially to account for back-to-back games and managing injuries.
Two starters are guarantees: Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving. Flagg started all 70 games as a rookie last season, and Irving has started all 779 games in his last 15 seasons.
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) and guard Kyrie Irving, right, sit on the bench during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)
Scott Marshall/AP
Several of the team’s big men have been limited through the first half of training camp, including Santi Aldama, Morez Johnson Jr. and Dereck Lively II, who remains without a definitive timeline to return from right foot surgery. Aldama is recovering from a procedure and injection in his right knee that preceded his trade to Dallas. Johnson has lower leg soreness but appears close to a return.
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All three could be candidates to start, but Daniel Gafford has the best chance to reclaim his starting role at center while the frontcourt regains strength. He averaged 9.5 points and 6.9 rebounds with 1.3 blocks in 55 games last season. The Mavericks also have Moussa Cisse and Dwight Powell as emergency options.
Shooting guard could be the most intriguing training camp battle. Max Christie started 68 of his 77 games last season and averaged career highs in points (12.3) while shooting 40.4 from beyond the arc, his best year of high volume 3-point shooting. The Mavericks also acquired former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher, who has promising potential as a two-way wing. He averaged 9.3 points and 3.8 rebounds last season.
With Irving back in the fold at point guard, Flagg will presumably start at his natural position of small forward, leaving the power forward spot up for grabs. P.J. Washington has been the Mavericks’ primary power forward since he was acquired in 2024, but his two-way versatility gives May’s coaching staff the option to use him in a multitude of ways. Washington has started in 137 out of 142 career games for his hometown Mavericks, but he says that status isn’t his priority.
Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) dunks the ball past Los Angeles Lakers forward Maxi Kleber (14) and forward Jake LaRavia (12) during the second half of an NBA basketball game at American Airlines Center on Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Dallas.
Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News
“My biggest thing is winning, whether I’m starting or not,” Washington said after Thursday’s practice. “I’ve been on so many losing teams. I’ve been to the playoffs one time in my career, so for me, I just want to turn that around and get to the playoffs and just win. … I feel like if I’m starting or not, I can make an impact on the floor whenever I’m out there.”
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May said Washington is “certainly in the mix” for a starting spot, mostly because of his positional versatility. He could also consider Naji Marshall, Aldama and Johnson, once they’re healthy. Candidly, May called the discourse of starters and reserves “irrelevant.”
“Personally, if I could play five more minutes and not hear my name called, I’d rather play those five extra minutes,” May said. “Or if I could finish a game versus having my name called in the starting lineup, I’d rather finish a game as well. Hopefully we have the mind-set of, ‘Whatever the team needs.’”
Next Friday’s preseason opener against the Houston Rockets in Macao will offer a glimpse into May’s thinking, but there are plenty of position battles to win before then.