The NBA season tips off in just under a month, and it should be a season of intrigue for the Dallas Mavericks and their fans.
Dallas enters the season with high expectations even with the number of new faces on their roster, not the least of which is No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg.
In anticipation of the new season, ESPN and NBA insider Tim MacMahon are ranking the top 100 players in the NBA entering 2025-26, starting with Nos. 100-51.
Three Mavericks appeared in the first half of ESPN’s list, including what is perhaps a surprisingly high ranking for the rookie Flagg.
Mavericks
Check out where the Mavs’ fall on the list below.
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95. P.J. Washington, F
Washington’s role on the 2025-26 team is flexible, but uncertain at the moment. Fresh off signing a four-year extension, the 27-year-old could be in the starting lineup or come off the bench this season. Either way, as MacMahon writes, Washington is still expected to be a key piece in Dallas, and the emotional pulse of the Mavericks team.
MacMahon: “His athleticism and versatility are valued in Dallas, which relies on the 6-7 Washington as a primary defender from point guards to power forwards. He averaged a career-best 7.8 rebounds per game and was one of only eight players in the league to average at least one steal and one block (minimum 50 games).”
73. Dereck Lively II, C
Lively fell 17 spots from last year’s list after playing only 36 games in 2024-25, and that’s after only playing 55 in his rookie season. Lively’s health and availability will be crucial for both his own success and for the Mavericks’, and it’s not getting off to a great start with Lively requiring offseason foot surgery on the same foot he suffered a stress fracture in last season. That, plus questions about his effectiveness without lob-machine Luka Doncic, could explain his precipitous drop.
MacMahon: “The Mavs believe that Lively, a springy 7-footer with the ability to protect the rim and guard on the perimeter, has the potential to develop into a Defensive Player of the Year. He’s a spectacular finisher who has dunked 207 of his 355 career buckets, but Lively likely won’t get as many lobs after Doncic‘s departure.”
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52. Cooper Flagg, F
For reference, San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama was ranked by ESPN as the No. 47 player in the NBA prior to the start of his rookie season. Flagg’s ranking might seem high for a guy who’s only played 37 games above the high school level, but it speaks to the expectations and the promise of the 18-year-old top pick.
MacMahon: “The 18-year-old Flagg, who might be the most anticipated American prospect since LeBron James, arrives in the NBA in a distinctive position of being a No. 1 pick on a veteran-heavy roster with playoff aspirations. Mavs coach Jason Kidd plans to give the 6-9 Flagg plenty of opportunity to prove that he can flourish as a point forward. Kidd took a similar approach with a young Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee, but the Greek Freak wasn’t surrounded by 30-something future Hall of Famers the way Flagg will be in Dallas.”
This post will be added to as more Mavericks appear on the list.
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