It has been more than half a year since the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Dončić, and even after they landed the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and selected Cooper Flagg, questions remain about why they made the trade, which brought them Anthony Davis and Max Christie.
Dončić is not only one of the NBA’s best players, but also one of its most popular, especially in the international market. Trading him away seemingly diminished their time in the spotlight.
Mavericks Have Fewer National TV Games This Season
The NBA released its regular-season schedule for all 30 teams, including the number of national TV games each will play. The Mavericks will have 23, the 10th most in the league. The Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, and New York Knicks lead the league with 34 nationally televised games each, followed by the Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets with 28, the Denver Nuggets with 26, the Boston Celtics with 25, and the Cleveland Cavaliers with 24.
The Mavericks still have appeal for national audiences after winning the Flagg sweepstakes, as the rookie is widely considered among the NBA’s next superstars. Even so, this is substantially fewer games than last season, when they still had Dončić.
According to Sports Media Watch, the Mavericks were scheduled for 30 national TV games last season, seven more than this season. Granted, Dončić got hurt, which affected the team’s watchability, but the numbers speak for themselves: Dončić brought an audience.
It also hurts Dallas that it will enter the 2025-26 season undermanned, as Kyrie Irving is expected to miss the entire season while recovering from an ACL tear. Adding to the uncertainty is Anthony Davis, who was injured early in his Mavericks tenure and has a history of missing time.
Flagg alone will make the Mavericks a watchable team due to the hype surrounding him. He has been touted as the best American prospect and most tantalizing since Zion Williamson, but his defensive ability makes him stand out. However, the drama surrounding the Mavericks may dampen some excitement.
Though without Irving, the Mavericks signed D’Angelo Russell in free agency, who has a history of playing with Davis. But with a tougher Western Conference led by the defending champion Thunder, the revamped Nuggets, and the Kevin Durant-led Rockets, the Mavericks have 23 national TV games to prove they belong.