Cooper Flagg has a clear mission after Mavericks' Christmas Day streak ends

For the first time since 2019, the Dallas Mavericks will not play on Christmas Day. ESPN's Shams Charania revealed the 2026 Christmas Day schedule on Tuesday morning, and the Mavericks were nowhere to be found.

Dallas had a legitimate case to make the slate over a team like the Golden State Warriors, especially since Jimmy Butler likely won't be back by then, and the Mavericks not playing on Christmas Day gives Cooper Flagg a clear mission for next season: become the type of superstar that the NBA can't afford to leave out on Christmas Day.

Cooper Flagg needs to follow Luka Doncic's footsteps

This is exactly what Luka Doncic did during his time in Dallas, as the Mavericks were playing on Christmas Day in his third year in the NBA. They didn't play during his rookie or sophomore seasons, even after he won Rookie of the Year, but the NBA couldn't afford to leave the Mavs off during Doncic's third year. He was already that good.

Luka had just been named to the All-NBA First Team as a second-year player, which is extremely rare, and the NBA realized what they were missing out on and made sure Doncic was a marquee face on Christmas by scheduling Dallas to play the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. This was their first game on Christmas since 2011, the year they won the NBA Finals.

For the next five years, the Mavericks had a Christmas Day game.

Even last year, when Doncic was gone and the Mavericks were led by Anthony Davis and Flagg, they played on Christmas against Golden State. A year later, Dallas will be watching the biggest basketball day of the year from home.

This gives Flagg clear motivation to take a superstar leap next season, just as Doncic did in his second season with the Mavericks. If he does this, fans should expect Dallas to be a staple of Christmas Day hoops for a long time.

Flagg becoming a superstar will force the NBA's hand

Just look at this year's schedule. It's filled with superstars.

Every team on this list is led by a future Hall of Famer, and while it certainly looks like Flagg is on the way to joining that conversation, he has to prove it even more before the Mavericks are a must-see team on Christmas Day. They still have a lot to prove, as many analysts expect them to have another down year after losing 56 games last season, but Flagg can put all those doubts to rest by morphing into a superstar and putting Dallas back on the map.

Basketball is better when the Mavericks are good, and Flagg has the chance to turn them into contenders as soon as 2027-28 by taking major strides in his game next season. He's already an elite defender, finisher, and competitor. Once that jump shot comes around, the NBA will be in trouble.

Flagg developing his offensive game and cementing himself as a face of the league next season will make the NBA regret leaving Dallas off the Christmas Day schedule, and his mission to do this begins soon. He doesn't need any added motivation, as he's already a relentless worker, but not getting to showcase his talents on the biggest stage should leave a taste of spoiled eggnog in his mouth.

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