Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg looks on against the San Antonio Spurs. Candice Ward-Imagn Images

What makes the Mavericks impossible to predict going into upcoming season

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Aug 31, 2025 3:45 PM ET

The Dallas Mavericks are one of the most topsy-turvy teams in the entire sports world.

In a span of a year, the Mavericks went from the NBA Finals to trading their star player to seeing their other top guard get injured to nailing the No. 1 overall pick. ESPN insider Tim Bontemps thinks the Mavericks will have a tough time being successful next season because of all the uncertainties.

"Dallas is going to be one of the NBA's most interesting teams this season, between introducing Cooper Flagg to life in the NBA, playing some truly massive lineups across the board, the ongoing fallout of the Luka Doncic trade and Kyrie Irving's potential return from a torn ACL suffered in March. As it stands now, the only reliable ball handler on the roster is D'Angelo Russell, a fine rotation player at the point but one who is more suited for a backup role," Bontemps wrote.

"That, along with Anthony Davis' health issues -- he missed six weeks with a groin injury after his Dallas debut, then had surgery to repair a detached retina in July -- makes exceeding a 44-win season a taller task in the brutal West."

Mavericks have many unknowns to face

The Mavs have a long range of possibilities for how their season can go, so the expectations have to be thrown out the window. The biggest factors for the Mavs going into the season are how well No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg can play in his rookie year and when Kyrie Irving will return from his torn ACL.

If the Mavs can end up on the right end of both of those, they should be in the mix for a playoff berth in the upcoming season.

The Mavs begin their preseason on Oct. 6 when they take on the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in Fort Worth.

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

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