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When the draft lottery went the Mavs‘ way last year, there were a few over-excited fans who thought that Cooper Flagg would add something so special to the team that it would be challenging for a playoff spot this season, and maybe even more.
Flagg has been an unqualified success, but that was always going to be a lot to ask from a rookie.
As the 2025-26 NBA regular season limps to a close, the gap between the Mavs and the play-in tournament berths is mostly growing. It is becoming ever more obvious that it will be another year with postseason action. That appearance in the finals, only in 2024, certainly seems a very long time ago now.
There are some decisions to be made by the team before the end of the season, but most of the talk will now be figuring out what needs to be done in the offseason to make the Mavs competitive again. After fans have read some trusted sportsbook reviews to see where to back Dallas next year, they will want to know whether that is really going to be a sensible decision for them to make.
Get the Right General Manager
Whatever happens on the court next season will ultimately owe a lot to how the Mavs go about deciding on a permanent GM this offseason. Appointing Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley as interim co-managers in November was probably the right move to establish continuity at a time of instability. But the real decision needs to be made this summer.
The thinking now is that the Mavs will need to have a new guy in place by June in order to run the draft. There are arguments to keep one of Riccardi or Finley, with Jason Kidd particularly favoring the former, while other names like Dennis Lindsey and Bob Myers will also be in the mix. The Mavs need to get this right, as it will dictate the direction of the team for the next few years.
Get This Draft Right
It is a little difficult to confidently predict what the Mavs will do in the 2026 NBA Draft, as it depends on how the lottery treats them this summer and how the new GM sees the team progressing. Whoever is in charge, and whatever number pick Dallas gets, this is one draft that has to go perfectly.
Because of previous trades, the 2026 first-round pick will be the last that the Mavs have total control over for quite a while. In fact, it won’t be until 2031 that the Mavs can depend on their initial pick again, so getting it right is crucial. Cooper Flagg is obviously the man to build a team around, but even he will need a lot of help.
Trade for Star
At this time, there is a 7.5% chance that Dallas is as lucky as last year in the draft lottery. Where the Mavs finally end up in that first round will have a big impact on who they can bring in, but if all goes well, there is a very good argument that a top pick should be traded away for a real star player.
Cooper Flagg has proved just how good a number one pick can be in his first year in the NBA, but that kind of fortune does not happen every year. There is no guarantee that the number one pick overall will go on to be a great player, so there could be a real opportunity to bring in an experienced star for a rookie and a few other players.
Bring in a Point Guard
The future of Kyrie Irving is still a little up in the air. Although it does now seem as though he wants to retire as a Mav, there will still be questions about his ability to return from his ACL tear. Flagg – and Dallas in general – desperately needs a playmaker to take things forward next year, so a fit and healthy Irving is vital.
But even if Irving is able to come back to the league where he left off, the Mavs could do worse than bring in another point guard anyway. Other teams have done well with multiple ballhandlers, and it will give the team a chance to push Irving as much as possible while still having the opportunity to bring in another guard when needed.
Work on Cooper’s Threes
This one is, admittedly, a little tongue-in-cheek. Cooper Flagg has proven that he is going to be a huge success in the NBA and a player that the team will be built around in the next few years. Whether on defense or offense, Flagg’s competitiveness and willingness to work hard have been a delight to watch this year.
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The obvious weak spot of his game at the moment is his three-point shooting, however. His numbers are not high, but it is not a real concern considering the fact that this has been his first year in the pro game, and everything else has been exceptional. Give him a chance to work on his outside shot over the offseason, and it could well be that his all-around game is even better next season.
Our final piece of advice for the Dallas Mavericks over the remaining weeks of this season – and especially during the offseason – is to work harder on their P.R. Ever since Luka Dončić was traded away to the Lakers, the entire organization has made mistake after mistake, when better communications would have made the fans feel a lot better.
Raising ticket prices just after that trade was a bad move, and there has not been enough communication about where the new arena will be, either.
With suspicions that the team is moving to the suburbs, the Mavs front office could gain a lot of goodwill by keeping fans informed, not charging more for a team that hasn’t made the playoffs for two years, and ultimately deciding on a downtown location for the new arena.
Enhancing Your Dallas Sports Fan Experience
Tags: 2026 NBA Draft Cooper Flagg Dallas Mavericks DALSN DALSportsNation Jason Kidd Matt Riccardi Mavericks Mavs Michael Finley NBA NBA Draft WegENT
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