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

Will the Dallas Mavericks get back over .500 this season?

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Aug 14, 2025 11:25 AM ET

The Dallas Mavericks won just 39 games a year ago, but with No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg coming to the team, there's a chance the team could see an uptick in the win column.

Bleacher Report writer Andy Bailey projected each team's win total for the upcoming season, giving the Mavs a 42-40 record.

"Starting with incoming rookie Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, there's plenty to like about this overhauled Dallas Mavericks roster," Bailey wrote.

"Pretty much any combination of Flagg, Anthony Davis, P.J. Washington, Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford at spots 3 through 5 should give the Mavs an almost nightmarish defense.

"And if Flagg takes to the NBA as quickly as he did high-level high school basketball and the ACC, Dallas could clear that over-under by even more than this prediction."

Mavs projected for winning record

While the Mavs are expected to do better, the injury to Kyrie Irving could stunt the team's full potential, making them a threat in a crowded Western Conference for the playoffs.

"With Kyrie Irving out for at least the first few months of the campaign, though, offense could be awfully difficult to come by. D'Angelo Russell will help. And Flagg was a better playmaker at summer league than many expected," Bailey wrote.

"But the Mavs no longer have the kind of offensive engine that's almost become a prerequisite for title contention."

These are pretty manageable expectations for the Mavs and there shouldn't be a reason why they wouldn't accomplish this unless injuries completely derail the season. That's completely possible as we saw last year, but it's hard to imagine the injury bug stinging the Mavs as much as it did last season.

Dallas will hope to run with the roster it has in hopes of winning 40 or more games and getting back to the playoffs.

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

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