The Dallas Mavericks tip off their preseason on Monday, Oct. 6, against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth — marking the first NBA game ever played in the venue.
Fans will get their first in-person look at Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick from the 2025 NBA Draft, as well as the team’s new offensive system and leadership from Anthony Davis in his first full year with the Mavericks.
How to Watch
Date: Monday, Oct. 6, 2025
Time: 7:30 p.m. CT
Location: Dickies Arena — Fort Worth, TX
TV: KFAA-29, MavsTV Stream, NBA TV
Radio: KEGL 97.1 FM The Eagle; 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish)
‘Championship Habits’ Built in Vancouver
The Mavericks return from a productive training camp in Vancouver, British Columbia, where head coach Jason Kidd emphasized chemistry, communication, and “championship habits.”
“The energy and communication were at a high,” Kidd said. “We talked about championship habits — relationship building, having player-to-player conversations. When players are talking to each other, they’re figuring it out.”
Kidd designed practices to maximize competition, noting that both practice units “believe they can start.”
“There is no drop-off,” he said. “The competition and the chirping are at a very high level, and that’s what’s going to help us as we go forward. The games will hopefully be easier because of the competition we have here in practice.”
Jay Triano’s Offense: Movement, Flow, and Freedom
A major storyline from camp was the implementation of new assistant coach Jay Triano’s offensive system. Triano, who joined Dallas after helping build one of the league’s most dynamic motion offenses in Sacramento, has already changed how the Mavericks play.
Kidd said the new system emphasizes spacing, tempo, and decision-making.
“I love the way Coach Jay has taught the offense,” Kidd said. “The positions are interchangeable. Everything’s read-and-react. The first week, guys have picked it up, and it’s been great.”
That includes a faster pace and more ball movement than in recent years. P.J. Washington said the new approach gives everyone freedom.
“Whoever gets the rebound, just push in transition,” Washington said. “We’ve got a lot of people who can start the offense and get things flowing. We’ve got a lot of great players who can make shots, draw defenders, and create.”
Max Christie added that the increased pace creates better looks.
“Play with pace and play with speed,” Christie said. “That makes a lot of our actions more lethal. We’re playing off each other — not forcing things, just flowing within the game.”
Anthony Davis: The Sabonis Role in Dallas
In Triano’s system, Anthony Davis is expected to function as an offensive hub — similar to how Domantas Sabonis operates in Sacramento’s attack.
Davis said the transition has been seamless.
“That’s kind of been my style of play for longer,” Davis said. “Nothing different. If anything, with Jay Triano coming over and kind of how they used Sabonis as the hub, it’s kind of the same thing. Guys just play off that — ball movement, spacing, creating lanes for everyone. Everyone on the floor has a mindset of attack, and if the defense collapses, we should be able to blind pass to the spots we’re going to be at.”
Kidd said the offense is built to leverage Davis’ full range of skills — passing, shooting, and mobility.
“He doesn’t always have to be down low — he can be outside on the perimeter,” Kidd said. “He can play in handoffs, in the pick-and-roll, mid-range to the three-point line. He can shoot it, he can drive it. The more we put him in those situations where teams can’t load up on him in the post, that’ll help our offense.”
The result, Kidd said, is a freer, more versatile attack designed to make defenses chase.
“The conditioning aspect of our offense is going to help us because we’re playing faster,” he said. “Both teams are pushing each other — blue’s pushing white, white’s pushing blue. It’s been really, really good up to this point.”
Cooper Flagg’s Preseason Debut
All eyes Monday night will be on Cooper Flagg, making his first professional appearance after an impressive training camp. The 18-year-old No. 1 pick has drawn strong reviews from veterans and coaches alike for his versatility and defensive instincts.
“He can pretty much do everything on the floor,” Washington said. “He’s very versatile, good size, can shoot, defend, and make the right play. He’s going to fit in really well with our system.”
Christie added, “He’s young but picks up things quickly. He only adds to what we’re doing on both ends of the floor. That means more wins for us, and that’s what we’re trying to do — win and compete for a championship.”
Flagg is expected to see time at both forward spots alongside Davis and Dereck Lively II, offering Dallas rare size and defensive versatility.
Depth and Internal Competition
Depth has been a major theme for Dallas since camp opened. Kidd said that having two balanced units has created one of the most competitive training environments he’s seen.
“There is no drop-off,” Kidd said. “The white team believes they can start. The competition and the chirping are at a very high level.”
Washington said that depth translates to confidence.
“We get a lot better in practice because we always have guys going at each other,” he said. “During the season, it’ll be easier to keep doing the same things with both groups.”
Christie echoed that sentiment: “Our starting five is great, and then you look at our bench — I think we’re probably the deepest team in the league. There’s no drop-off.”
Thunder’s Preseason Outlook
The Thunder opened their preseason Sunday with a 135–114 win over the Charlotte Hornets in North Charleston, South Carolina, despite resting nearly all their starters — including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Lu Dort, and Isaiah Hartenstein.
OKC’s depth shined, led by Aaron Wiggins with 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting. Ousmane Dieng added 17 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, while Chris Youngblood scored 20 points in 21 minutes, continuing his breakout stretch from Summer League.
“They make my job easy,” Youngblood said. “Just shoot the ball and play defense, man.”
Even with a limited rotation, OKC’s emphasis on pace and ball pressure looked sharp. “We’re just focused on getting stops,” Youngblood said. “No matter who we play or who’s on the court, we’re just focused on sticking to our principles.”
Injury Report
Daniel Gafford (right ankle sprain) remains out, though Kidd said he is “trending in the right direction.” Kyrie Irving continues to recover from left knee surgery. All other players participated in Sunday’s practice.
“Everybody went, everybody participated — except Gaff,” Kidd said. “He’s getting back, trending in the right direction. Hopefully he’s back sooner rather than later.”
Kidd on the Preseason Focus
Kidd said the preseason will serve as an extension of camp rather than a separate evaluation period.
“Up to the 21st is training camp for us,” he said. “Some might say the first week is training camp, but we’re looking at it as running through the 21st. Nothing’s going to be perfect, but the guys are working extremely hard. We’re using this time to make corrections and also point out what they’re doing right.”
The focus, Kidd said, will be on combinations, conditioning, and building continuity around Triano’s system and Davis’ leadership.
“Just looking at different combinations, conditioning, and getting the things we’re asking them to do on tape — then being able to show them, make corrections, or praise them for doing the right thing,” Kidd said.
What’s Next
After facing the Thunder, the Mavericks will host the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday at American Airlines Center — their only preseason game at home — before wrapping up the exhibition slate with road matchups at Utah and Las Vegas against the Lakers.
As Dallas transitions from camp to game action, the message remains the same.
“We laid a foundation,” Kidd said. “Now it’s time to build on it.”
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