3 Outside-the-box lineups the Mavericks should deploy next season

The Dallas Mavericks featured no sense of lineup continuity a season ago, being one of only three teams without a five-man lineup to eclipse at least 100 minutes together, joining the lowly Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards.

Consequently, this upcoming season will be about both growth and figuring out which lineups will contribute most to it. Nonetheless, figuring out which lineups work best comes with trotting out some unorthodox fivesomes that the Mavericks should explore using.

3. Cooper Flagg's floor-spacing dream

PG: Cooper Flagg; SG: Max Christie; SF: Zaccharie Risacher; PF: Tarik Biberovic; C: Santi Aldama

First up is a rather obvious recipe, yet with an unexpected combination. Dallas began the 2025-26 campaign with Cooper Flagg running point, yet the results weren't all that great. And while it was partially on Flagg (who had never played the position before in his life), the Mavericks' roster also shared some of the blame.

Dallas surrounded the 6-foot-9 Flagg with a dearth of shooters, thus limiting his greatest offensive strength: attacking the basket. Lined up next to Flagg were Klay Thompson and, later, Max Christie, as the only above-average shooters. It clearly wasn't the most inviting atmosphere for the still-developing Flagg.

This time around, Dallas can remedy that approach by adding more spacing around Flagg. Of course, the 19-year-old won't be a full-time point guard, but trotting out lineups where he's the primary creator is something that should be done moving forward. And, in this hypothetical lineup, Flagg is surrounded by Dallas' best shooters (minus Thompson, who could be a roster casualty this offseason).

Christie, at the two, is a career 38.6 percent marksman, Zaccharie Risacher shot nearly 37 percent a year ago, Tarik Biberovic splashed 45.8 percent of his triples this past year in Europe, and lastly, Santi Aldama can hit threes at a respectable rate for a 7-footer, boasting a career 34.6 percent clip.

This fivesome might not even see the floor together next season, but it's an ideal lineup to get the best out of Flagg, at a position where Dallas still likely sees some of the reigning Rookie of the Year's future.

2. Let Kyrie Irving cook

PG: Kyrie Irving; SG: Max Christie; SF: Naji Marshall; PF: Santi Aldama; C: Moussa Cisse

Entering the 2026-27 season, all eyes are on Flagg, and rightfully so. However, Dallas' next-best player will also receive his fair share of the limelight. After not playing in over a year, Kyrie Irving will be back on the hardwood come October, and while Flagg is leading the charge, he can't be on the floor for every second of every game.

With that being said, the Mavericks will need to do their best to maximize Irving in lineups without Flagg. In this lineup, the 34-year-old Irving is flanked by a sharpshooter in Christie, another playmaker in Naji Marshall, a stretch big in Aldama, and lastly, an energizer at the five in Moussa Cisse.

This lineup gives Irving the best of the best, without Flagg in tow. Irving gets an ideal catch-and-shoot option, a secondary creator to ease his playmaking burden, and both a pick-and-pop and pick-and-roll threat. Plus, there's also just enough spacing in this lineup to open up driving lanes for Irving.

1. Jumbo-sized lineup of the future

PG: Sergio De Larrea; SG: Zaccharie Risacher; SF: Cooper Flagg; PF: Morez Johnson Jr.; C: Dereck Lively II

Lastly, what you've all been waiting for: the Mavericks' lineup of the future. While it may be a bit shortsighted, considering it's impossible to tell the future and Dallas' lineup could look very different by even the trade deadline, it's a fun, jumbo-sized lineup with plenty of youth, playmaking, switchability, and athleticism.

Of course, Flagg and rookie ninth-overall pick Morez Johnson Jr. are here, but joining them are 25th overall pick Sergio De Larrea, former first-overall pick Risacher, and the still-only-22-year-old Dereck Lively II.

The average height of this lineup is 6-foot-9, which is both trending toward the new NBA norm and a lovechild of team president Masai Ujiri. The NBA is notably getting bigger, but it's also a reflection of Ujiri's preferred vision for what an NBA team should look like, with size and switchability.

Although this lineup doesn't boast many shooters, with Risacher being the only proven NBA player with an above-average three-point clip, its playmaking is enough to make up for a lack of spacing. De Larrea is a gifted passer, while Lively II can even operate as a short-roll playmaker.

While this lineup also might not see the floor next season, it's one that's bound to be part of the Mavericks' future. Lively II is the eldest player here at 22, and he's only appeared in 98 career games. The potential here is off the charts.

None of these lineups are guaranteed to become staples for the Mavericks next season, but that's the beauty of it. Dallas has plenty of versatile pieces that allow it to experiment, and finding the right combinations could go a long way toward maximizing Flagg, Irving, and the rest of the roster.

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