5 Players Who Don’t Belong On The Mavericks’ Roster

The Cooper Flagg era is officially underway for the Dallas Mavericks. After a turbulent stretch that saw the franchise move on from Nico Harrison in May 2026, Dallas turned to Masai Ujiri to lead the basketball operation and Dusty May to replace Jason Kidd on the sideline.

The Mavericks can’t keep veterans on the team and hope they magically click around Flagg, because it won’t work after last season’s 12th-seeded finish (26-56) in the West. That is just one of the issues that might plague the Mavs next season.

Flagg is the No. 1 overall pick and the player Dallas is betting its future on. The goal now should be to maximize his development and give younger players minutes, while accumulating future assets.

That makes several veterans on this roster increasingly difficult to justify. Some are good players, obviously.

Some have legitimate trade value and were perfectly reasonable fits for the Mavericks’ previous direction under Luka Doncic.

But the Mavericks aren’t living in that world anymore, and if Ujiri is serious about building this franchise around Flagg, these are five players who increasingly look like they belong somewhere else.

5. Caleb Martin

Caleb Martin isn’t necessarily a bad player to have on an NBA roster, but he is a veteran who might be on his last legs.

During his time in Miami, he became a useful two-way wing who could hit open threes and defend larger forwards. He averaged 3.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 2025-26 while shooting 35.1% from three in 58 appearances, and his postseason reputation was built on doing the little things that don’t always show up in the box score.

Martin is entering the veteran portion of his career, while Dallas needs to find out whether younger players can grow into legitimate rotation pieces. Every minute Martin receives is a minute that can’t go to somebody who may actually be part of the Mavericks’ next playoff team.

Martin’s defensive versatility is useful, but Dallas isn’t short on players who can fill a role. That’s why Martin is an interesting trade candidate, as his $10,001,494 deal in 2026-27 is expiring, although he has a $9,731,351 player option a year later.

We have floated a potential three-team trade that could use Martin’s contract to match salary and bring a young sharpshooter to Dallas.

A contender could look at him and see exactly what Dallas may not need: a battle-tested wing who knows how to defend, understands his role and won’t make many mistakes. If Ujiri can turn Martin into a younger player, a draft asset or even future flexibility, the Mavericks should seriously consider it.

4. Daniel Gafford

Daniel Gafford ($17,263,584, $18,126,763, $18,989,942 over the next three seasons)  is another player whose usefulness could ironically make him more expendable. He’s athletic, finishes above the rim, rebounds, protects the basket, and gives Dallas an explosive target in the pick-and-roll.

Last season, he averaged 9.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks while shooting an efficient 65.5% from the field. That efficiency is exactly why contenders would have interest, including Luka Doncic’s current team, the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Mavericks have a bigger question to answer. What does their center rotation look like around Flagg?

If Dallas believes Flagg is eventually going to become a 6’9″ or 6’10” offensive hub who can operate from the perimeter, the Mavericks need to be extremely intentional about the big men they put around him.

Dallas could also decide that a more versatile five who can stretch the floor, switch defensively, and keep the paint open is the better long-term complement to Flagg.

Gafford’s limitations become more noticeable in that scenario. Ujiri should be asking whether Gafford is the ideal center for Flagg’s prime, and if the answer is no, this is another obvious opportunity to sell high.

Gafford has enough production and athleticism to attract teams looking for frontcourt help. Dallas shouldn’t move him simply for the sake of moving him, but if another team offers a first-round pick or a younger player with more long-term upside, Ujiri should listen.

3. Klay Thompson

This is the toughest name on the list because Klay Thompson is Klay Thompson, and that’s why the Mavs are resisting a buyout in the hopes of getting something back for him.

We’re talking about one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, a five-time All-Star, four-time champion and one-half of the legendary Splash Brothers.

But the Mavericks aren’t paying for 2016 Klay, even if the player has an expiring $17,460,317 deal. Thompson averaged 11.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game, shooting 38.3% from three on 7.6 attempts per game.

He was a solid catch-and-shoot threat, but his overall offensive production was a long way from the player who once averaged 22.1 points per game for Golden State.

A 39% three-point shooter taking nine attempts per game is still valuable, but Dallas needs more than valuable. Thompson is now 36 and approaching 37 years old. Flagg is a teenager.

That is an enormous age gap for a franchise that should be thinking about where it wants to be three, four and five years from now.

There is also the defensive question. After multiple major injuries, including the ACL tear that cost him the 2019-20 season and the Achilles injury that wiped out the following year, he’s simply not that player anymore.

But he is capable on the right team. The Miami Heat have shown the earliest interest in Klay, who can play a pivotal role alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. Of course, there has been more interest.

The Lakers are almost a perfect fit for Klay, because the sharpshooter originally joined Dallas to play with Luka. Klay fits with Luka perfectly, which is why the player has shown interest in wearing the iconic Purple and Gold jersey.

Out of all the offensive players on the current roster, Klay should be made expendable.

2. P.J. Washington

P.J. Washington (27) might be the most difficult player on this list to evaluate because his skill set is genuinely useful, but his value is high because of that. His contract is also quite team-friendly: $19,813,044, $21,398,088, $22,983,132, and $24,568,176 over the next four seasons.

Is there any wonder why Washington is on the Lakers’ radar? It has gotten to the point that the Lakers are being heavily criticized for not going all-in for Luka’s former teammate.

At 6’7″, Washington can defend multiple positions, space the floor, and play either forward spot. During the 2025-26 season, he averaged 14.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 32.5% from three.

That’s a very respectable modern power-forward profile, and Dallas knows firsthand what he can do.

Washington was one of the team’s more important supporting players during its run to the 2024 NBA Finals, particularly because of his defensive versatility and willingness to take difficult assignments.

But Washington is entering the stage of his career where his value is probably closest to its current level. Cooper Flagg is just beginning his, and the Mavericks should be looking at Washington and asking a brutally simple question:

Will he still be one of our most important players when Cooper Flagg is ready to seriously compete for a championship? The answer is likely no.

Washington is precisely the type of player a contender could value.  If Dallas can turn Washington into a younger forward, a future first-round pick or another piece with a longer runway, it would be difficult to argue against the move.

1. Kyrie Irving

This is the obvious one. Kyrie Irving doesn’t belong on a rebuilding Mavericks team, because he’s probably too good for what Dallas is currently trying to accomplish. That sounds strange, but it matters.

Kyrie will make $39,491,282 next season with a $42,416,562 player option a year later. As a result, Kyrie could be one of the best players on the 2027 free agent market.

We have floated a particular framework where the point guard could join a contending team for a price of two veterans and two first-round picks.

When healthy, Irving remains one of the most gifted offensive players in basketball. During the 2024-25 regular season (he missed last season with a knee injury), he averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists, while shooting 47.3% from the field and 40.1% from three.

He was spectacular during Dallas’ run to the NBA Finals, but then the Mavericks’ entire direction changed.

And Dallas has to decide whether it wants to spend the next few seasons trying to squeeze veteran production out of Irving or build an ecosystem around Flagg.

Irving is going to be 35 this season during the early years of Flagg’s development. Even if he remains an excellent scorer, his best basketball years won’t fit next to a teenage superstar.

The Mavericks should be asking themselves whether their goal is to win 45 games next season or build a team capable of winning 55 games when Flagg is 23.

And Irving has something the other names on this list don’t have: massive trade value. Perhaps looking to the Eastern Conference could make sense for the Mavs to recoup some assets.

A healthy Kyrie Irving can change a franchise. There are playoff teams around the league that would happily give up substantial assets for an elite shot creator who has already demonstrated that he can be the second-best player on a championship-caliber team.

If a contender comes calling with a young star, multiple first-round picks or a package that dramatically improves Dallas’ long-term flexibility, Ujiri has to make the call.

The Mavericks have already endured enough organizational upheaval, and the last thing they need is to fall into the middle again.

The Mavericks don’t need to surround Cooper Flagg with the best players they can find today, and Kyrie should be the biggest sacrificial lamb to bring back future assets.