Can Mavericks, Cooper Flagg Win Games Early Next Season?

Despite the off-loading of a certain superstar guard last season, the Dallas Mavericks move into the 2025-26 season with a talented roster.

They have one of the best two-way centers in the league in Anthony Davis, an all-time offensive guard in Kyrie Irving and the league’s newest No. 1 pick in Cooper Flagg. Not to mention the myriad of talented role players that helped the team cruise to the Finals seasons ago.

But it remains to be seen whether the team will be truly competitive next season.

There are several factors working against the Mavericks to start next season, starting with Irving’s injury.

In early March, Irving sliced to the rim and landed awkwardly against the Kings, suffering a torn ACL. It was fairly dire news, as Davis had been working against injuries himself, and the 33-year-old guard had yet again been playing some of the best ball of his career.

Rehabbing from an ACL tear in the NBA is of course a long and unsteady process, but preliminary reports placed a potential return for Irving in January 2026. Even if Irving can return midway through, the Mavericks will need to stay afloat for the first half of the season.

Another major factor will be the simple infusion of Flagg to the roster. At 6-foot-9 he projects to have premier scoring and defensive ability, able to mesh into a variety of different roles. And still, assimilating a huge piece of the core that the organization expects to pour into for the foreseeable future won’t be easy. 

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, will be the looming Western Conference, which offers the Mavericks potentially one of the best ever seen. The longevity of older stars, mixed with how fast young players see success, has created a highly talented conference.

Teams like the now-champion Thunder, Rockets and Spurs are in close proximity to Dallas, not to mention the Clippers, Lakers, Warriors, Timberwolves, Nuggets and plenty more.

The Mavericks, even without Irving to start the season, should be well-positioned to be in that mix. Players like Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford and more, round out what should be one of the West's top teams, especially if Davis can stay healthy.

The Mavericks' early success could very well depend directly on Flagg. And his combination of size, athleticism, physicality, feel for the game and more could help him to see a blazing fast start in the NBA.