Mavericks' biggest 'wild card' could dangerously define Cooper Flagg's rookie year

The first step in Cooper Flagg's rookie year for the Dallas Mavericks begins tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder in a preseason game at Dickie's Arena in Fort Worth, but the biggest "wild card" of the Mavericks' 2025-26 season has nothing to do with what's done on the floor.

ESPN's Bobby Marks recently said that the Mavericks' front office, led by Nico Harrison, is the "biggest wild card of any team," and if recent trends continue, Dallas could end up making some sort of trade ahead of February's trade deadline.

Harrison has made trades during the regular season for four years in a row, and this streak likely won't end this season. He is always trying to make the roster better in whatever way that he can, but that doesn't always mean that it's the right move to make.

No one truly knows that the Mavericks' front office will do next

Harrison traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis at last season's trade deadline in a move that has been described as one of the worst trades of all time, while also being one of the most shocking. No one expected the Mavericks to move on from Doncic years before he hits his prime, especially after he led Dallas to the NBA Finals less than a year prior, and this type of move clearly indicates that no one is safe.

This level of uncertainty surrounding the front office and the moves that it is willing to make will definitely make Flagg's rookie season interesting, and a midseason move could be what makes or breaks the season.

Back in 2022, the year that the Mavericks made the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2011, Dallas traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Washington Wizards for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans. This move, even though it was viewed as controversial at the time, helped the Mavs finish strong and make a deep playoff push, and the same can be said about their season two years later.

In 2024, Dallas traded for P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford at the trade deadline, and if they hadn't made those moves, they wouldn't have made the NBA Finals. Gafford and Washington gave the Mavs the defensive help and energy boost that they needed to emerge as real contenders, and quite frankly, they changed the identity of the team.

There was a different buzz about the Mavericks after they acquired Gafford and Washington, and this carried all the way into June as they made their first NBA Finals appearance since 2011.

These types of moves by Harrison ultimately helped the Mavericks, and he is never afraid to move on from a player if they aren't playing like they should or if he believes they'd be better off by swapping them for someone else.

Harrison is unpredictable, as he and the rest of the front office hold their cards tight to their chest, and that's exactly why Marks believes they're a major wild card.

One reckless midseason front-office swing could set the Mavs back for multiple years at the worst time possible, since Flagg is just beginning his career, but one great trade could be what puts Dallas over the edge and into contender conversations. Dallas has a great core around Flagg, Anthony Davis, and Kyrie Irving, but if Harrison isn't pleased with the results that his team is putting forth before February 5 rolls around, don't be shocked if there is another blockbuster trade that will have the entire country talking.