Mavericks' gutsy Cooper Flagg plan just saved them from a costly trade mistake

If one thing is clear after a week of Cooper Flagg officially being a Dallas Maverick, it's that the front office and coaching staff have enormous trust in him, and he is going to be a major factor on both ends of the floor right away. After Flagg was drafted last Wednesday night, Nico Harrison made it clear that he believes Flagg is a "basketball player" capable of playing nearly anywhere on the floor.

Jason Kidd echoed this sentiment during Flagg's introductory press conference last Friday afternoon, saying he wants Flagg to play some point guard next season. Kidd clearly wants the rock in Flagg's hands early and often, and this plan may have prevented Dallas from having to make a risky trade for another ball handler this summer.

While the Mavs ended up signing D'Angelo Russell on Monday evening in free agency, they were also linked in trade rumors to Collin Sexton, Jrue Holiday, and Lonzo Ball. All three players ended up getting traded from their original teams over the last week or so, and Dallas' belief in Flagg as a ball handler and initiator could have saved them from hopping on one of these rumored moves to bolster their backcourt.

Mavericks' belief in Flagg as a playmaker prevented trade for a new guard

Each of the players that Dallas was linked to came with their own risks, as Ball has a lengthy injury history, Sexton has never played in the NBA Playoffs and ultimately got traded for nothing (indicating his value wasn't as high as Mavericks fans expected), and Holiday's contract is way too large for being a 35-year-old guard entering his 17th season in the NBA.

Mavericks fans speculated that Dallas would trade either P.J. Washington or Daniel Gafford to get them more guard help, both of whom would be huge losses, but Harrison stood pat and kept both players for now. Harrison also believes that Flagg and Washington can play alongside each other, potentially in a starting lineup of Russell, Flagg, Washington, Anthony Davis, and Dereck Lively II, and he has shown no signs that he wants to trade Washington or Gafford.

Dallas' end result of signing Russell to fill in for Kyrie Irving as he recovers from the ACL tear he suffered back in March reflects how much trust they truly have in Flagg, and Kidd turning Flagg into a point forward right away could end up having major benefits for his development. Kidd is known for helping Giannis Antetokounmpo become more advanced as a ball handler from his days coaching the Milwaukee Bucks, and his plan for Flagg could end up having a similar effect.

This isn't to say that Flagg will be bringing the ball up every time down the floor, but everything that has been said and done by the Mavericks recently shows how they feel about Flagg. He is a generational prospect who has much more potential than anyone realizes, and while the Russell signing will take some pressure off Flagg's shoulders, he is bound to have a heavy workload right away, starting in Summer League next week.

Last Friday, Kidd talked about how he can't wait for next Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers so they can give Flagg the ball and "see what happens." Summer League will be a great time for the Mavs to test Kidd's plan of making Flagg a primary ball handler, as he can play without having to worry about making mistakes or turning the ball over.

All in all, Kidd's confidence in Flagg playing point guard could have been all about his Summer League plan for him, but even Mark Cuban talked about Flagg playing some guard last week. The Mavericks have all the trust in the world with Flagg handling the ball, and their confidence in his skills may have saved Washington or Gafford from being traded for another guard.

Losing either Washington or Gafford would have been heartbreaking for fans, and Harrison's plan of keeping them both on the roster remained intact.

For now.