Mavericks reporter hints at all-in lineup that will terrify the NBA

The Dallas Mavericks lucked out this summer when they won the NBA's Draft Lottery and drafted consensus No.1 overall selection Cooper Flagg. Dallas not only changed the projection of their current roster by adding a win-now caliber player, but they also changed the course of franchise history forever.

With this in mind, Mavericks fans instantly speculated what the team's starting lineup would be with the introduction of Flagg into the team's lineup. There is zero doubt that Flagg won't be starting; however, after taking an increased role with the ball in his hands during the Las Vegas Summer League, there is reason to believe that the Mavericks could roll out a starting lineup with Flagg at the shooting guard or even point guard position.

While this might sound like a disaster for a team looking to win games, Jason Kidd has already hinted at a jumbo lineup that the team might experiment with, where P.J. Washington would be the Mavericks' starting small forward in addition to Flagg starting at the guard spot. Considering this, NBA reporter Marc Stein hinted at the Mavericks potentially rolling out a lineup in the future with Flagg handling the ball and Washington at the three in a recent "DLLS Mavs Podcast" episode.

Mavericks would be all-in on Flagg if they rolled out this starting lineup

In a segment where Stein was asked how he felt about the Mavericks potentially starting Flagg and Washington in the same lineup, he responded by saying he believes Jason Kidd will eventually experiment with a jumbo lineup (9:35-9:51 timestamp) as the season progresses.

“I do think that at some point that the starting lineup will be tested at some point with Cooper (Flagg) at the two and P.J. (Washington) at the three," Stein said. "I feel pretty strongly about that.”

While a move like this would hint at an all-in defensive lineup by Kidd and Nico Harrison, this would mean that there would need to be an odd man out between D'Angelo Russell or Klay Thompson. In the past, Thompson has expressed frustration with his time with the Golden State Warriors about a role off the bench, which may have been one of the leading reasons he chose Dallas over the Warriors in 2024.

Even if the Mavericks did roll out a lineup with Washington and Flagg headlining the perimeter defense, shooting would still be a major concern, which is why Thompson may need to start in a lineup with that much size. Both Flagg and Washington have had their fair share of moments defending 1-4 and, famously, during the Mavericks' run to the 2024 NBA Finals, Washington and Derrick Jones Jr. formed a dynamic duo where they were a force around the perimeter.

While adding Flagg would be a huge gamble considering the Mavericks would be relying on a rookie to dish the ball, this may be one of the most sure-fire defensive lineups Kidd could roll out. Even as the roster is currently constructed, a lack of size in any position will not be a problem for the Mavericks, especially if Flagg can become a force on the offensive end.

There's no doubt that the Mavericks will need to experiment with some crazy lineups before Kyrie Irving can return from his ACL tear, but adding Flagg and Washington into the starting lineup as the team's two and three would force teams to rethink their starting lineups.

In today's NBA, an all-big starting five has been frowned upon, but with the double-big lineups making a quick return, the Mavericks may have the perfect opportunity to find the NBA's new lineup hack.