Cooper Flagg’s perfect future Mavericks co-star is hiding in plain sight

The Dallas Mavericks have the perfect co-star for Cooper Flagg waiting for them in the 2026 NBA Draft, and his name is Darryn Peterson. The Mavericks' chances of landing him will all depend on where they pick in the 2026 NBA draft, as Peterson is one of the best teenage guard prospects this league has ever seen, but Dallas is no stranger to getting some ping pong balls to bounce their way.

According to Christopher Kline of FanSided's big board, Peterson is the No. 2 prospect in next year's draft class, only trailing Cameron Boozer of Duke. Despite playing just three games so far for Kansas this year due to a hamstring injury that he was dealing with earlier in the year, he is showing that he is built for stardom.

So far, Peterson is averaging 20.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 53.8 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from downtown. He is looking like one of the best guard prospects that we've seen in some time, and this is the exact area that the Mavs need to upgrade as they enter the Flagg era.

Darryn Peterson and Cooper Flagg would take over the NBA

The Mavericks' backcourt play has been one of their shakiest elements all season long, largely due to Kyrie Irving's absence. Even though Ryan Nembhard has been excellent as of late, the Mavs need another young guard to join their core. Nembhard and Brandon Williams alone aren't going to cut it if Dallas wants to push for a title soon, and having multiple elite shot creators is becoming increasingly important to become a true contender in today's NBA.

The Mavericks formed the best backcourt in franchise history for a year and a half when Irving played alongside Luka Doncic and led the team to the NBA Finals, and their on-court tandem was a sight to see every time they took the floor. Flagg may not be an offensive engine at this point in his career, but his growth as a scorer off the bounce has been evident as of late.

He is quietly becoming a mid-range king with his fadeaway jumper, and his skill set would fit perfectly next to Peterson.

Building your team around multiple young studs is important in today's NBA. Just look at teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. They have their superstar players in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama, but they also have elite co-stars like Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle.

The Mavericks can't expect to build a contender solely through free agency. They need to hit on their 2026 first-round pick. Badly. And a player like Peterson would put the Mavericks in a great spot as they look to recover from their premature decision to move on from Luka Doncic before he hit his prime.

Pairing Flagg and Peterson would give Dallas one of the best young duos to build around for years, as they'd have two electric wing scorers in their back pocket. There isn't anything that Peterson can't do on the offensive end, as he is an excellent shooter and can score at all three levels, and the Mavericks would go from having an uncertain future to one headlined by two of the future faces of the NBA.

They both thrive in big moments, and unlike many of today's stars, Peterson and Flagg both take pride in being solid defenders.

To add onto Peterson's electric offensive game, he is also a strong defender who has the size, frame, and tools to be a high-level stopper on that end. He is 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, and he'll be ready to be a plus defender on day one.

Peterson's tenacity and desire to win at the highest level match up with Flagg's, and they're both relentless competitors. The on-court fit for this duo makes too much sense, but everything depends on where the Mavericks finish in the lottery.

Sitting at 9-16, Dallas has the 10th-best odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick. As Mavs fans know, moving up in the lottery is hard, but it's definitely not impossible.

The Mavericks landed the first pick last year despite only having a 1.8 percent chance of doing so, and their odds could be even better this season depending on how they finish out the year. Dallas hasn't picked a direction yet, as they could decide to trade Anthony Davis and other veterans to enter a mini-rebuild around Flagg, or they could decide to push for the playoffs and keep Davis around.

Their vision for the rest of the season will become clearer over the next month or two, and if they decide to trade off pieces and build for the future while increasing their lottery odds, Peterson should be at the top of their wish list. Dallas would have an incredible young group leading the way with Nembhard, Max Christie, Peterson, Flagg, and Dereck Lively II if they can somehow jump into the top few picks to draft Peterson, and pairing this type of player with Flagg would be a franchise-altering move.

Peterson is that good.

The Mavericks would be in an incredible spot if they could draft Peterson to pair him with Flagg, and this would truly be a dream scenario for fans. The 2026 draft is the last draft in which the Mavs have full control of their first-round pick until 2031, so they need to make the most of it.

This is the type of duo that could change the entire trajectory of the franchise, and adding a talent like Peterson to their roster would fast-track the Mavericks' rise back to contention.