Mavericks' Cooper Flagg Plans Receive Interesting Update on Monday

Jason Kidd Confirmed Mavericks' Plans For Cooper Flagg as a Guard

The Mavericks listing Flagg as a point guard might be a surprise to many, but some might've seen this coming if they heard head coach Jason Kidd's comments after drafting Flagg.

The 10-time All-Star and Mavericks coach confirmed the team's interest in using Flagg as a point guard during his rookie season.

“I want to put him at point guard. I want to make him uncomfortable. … I’m excited to give him the ball against the Lakers and see what happens.”

Outside the injured Irving, the Mavericks have new signing D'Angelo Russell, Brandon Williams, Jaden Hardy, and two-way rookie Ryan Nembhard on the roster.

Russell, Williams and Hardy are expected to be rotational contributors. Nembhard's signing had Bill Simmons calling for the NBA to add an extra round in the draft, given he's among the best passers in this rookie class.

The Mavericks don't need Flagg to play as a guard, but it might be something the team actively wants to develop in Irving's absence.

Superstars are expected to be on-ball presences as well, so if Flagg used this developmental year to round out that skillset, it could make the Mavericks more lethal in the future.

Potential Mavericks Lineups With Cooper Flagg At Point Guard For the 2025-26 NBA Season

The Mavericks have plenty of guards they could deploy next season, as listed earlier. However, they're all offensive presences, with Flagg at point giving Jason Kidd a defensive edge that almost no team can match.

Flagg could play alongside Klay Thompson or Max Christie in the backcourt, with Thompson providing better shooting and Christie being a better defender. Jaden Hardy or D'Angelo Russell could also be tasked in this role for better ball-handling, or free agent Dante Exum, who's been with the team for the last two seasons and is expected to resign before the end of free agency.

Traditionally, Flagg would play either at small forward or power forward. But with Anthony Davis' insistence on playing at the four, the team will likely pair him with seven-footers Dereck Lively II or Daniel Gafford at center.

This leaves PJ Washington or Naji Marshall as the resident small forward for a lineup with Flagg at point. Marshall could provide on-ball relief in instances while Washington is a high-octane rebounder with a strong 3-and-D skillset.

Coach Kidd will have multiple options with a deep Mavericks roster inspite of Irving's injury. This season might be used to build the habits that the Mavericks can pose a title challenge with in the 2026-27 season, with Flagg in his second year and a hopefully healthy Irving back on the roster.