Jun 27, 2025; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison (left) looks on with Mavericks first overall pick Cooper Flagg (right) at a press conference at the Dallas Mavericks Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Ex-Lakers, Raptors NBA champion places heavy expectations on Mavs with Cooper Flagg

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Jun 28, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The Dallas Mavericks are in win-now mode. Despite having the first overall pick in this week's NBA Draft, they were there due to an unfortunate end to the season turning into unbelievable lottery luck. They now get to add Cooper Flagg, one of the best prospects of the last decade, to a core that includes Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis.

Even with Irving expected to be out for about the first half of next season as he recovers from ACL surgery, this is a team that believes they will be good immediately, especially if they find the right fill-in for Irving while he's out.

But just how large should those expectations be? Former NBA Champion Danny Green, who won titles with the San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, and Los Angeles Lakers, thinks a Western Conference Finals appearance has to be the standard.

"They have to be a lot better this year than they were last year, right? With everybody being healthy, still waiting on Kyrie to see what he looks like, but this is a top 6-seeded team. Full strength, you would expect them to be in the top three. They make these moves for AD, you have a short window where you want to win now, you got Cooper Flagg, you have some depth, you keep Daniel Gafford, Kyrie extension, you need a point guard or some depth at that position. But the expectations for this team, they gotta at least make the Western Conference Finals, if they're healthy, if not the Finals."

Although those expectations are lofty, that has to be the expectation for Dallas. You don't trade Luka Doncic coming off a run to the NBA Finals, and don't at least make a deep playoff run if everyone is healthy.

Health will be paramount, though. Anthony Davis' injury history is spotty, Irving is an older guard recovering from an ACL surgery, Thompson is in his mid-30s with an ACL and Achilles tear in his past, Dereck Lively II missed extended time last year, and the Mavs' training staff hasn't given people a lot of confidence recently.

If they can't at least make the Conference Semifinals, those discussions around Nico Harrison are only going to get hotter.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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