The Dallas Mavericks seem destined to take that next leap in the Western Conference standings in the 2025-26 season. The team drafted Duke phenom Cooper Flagg in hopes of strengthening their roster. It was a no-brainer to select him with the No. 1 pick. Flagg showcased his talents during the NBA Summer League, impressing Dallas within two games before being shut down soon after.
Flagg's skill set and hype give fans enough reason to believe they'll be contending for a title next season. Pairing Flagg alongside All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis is enough reason to think Dallas will be a championship contender. However, fans may have to hit the brakes for a minute. It might be too early to get excited. Sometimes things take time to become successful.
There are plenty of examples that prove success takes time. For instance, the Oklahoma City Thunder took years after Kevin Durant left to develop a solid core roster before they won an NBA title. They built around their youth and added key veterans to help them get over the hump. Dallas must follow the blueprint that good things take time. They must not assume this coming season will be the year. Remember, Nico Harrison has a three-year window to win a title.
Mavs may not be the immediate contenders that front office expects
Basically, it might be too early to believe the Mavs will win the 2026 NBA title. If you recall, Dallas is set to start the season without their 2025 All-Star Kyrie Irving. He suffered a devastating ACL tear in his left knee back in March. This left the team with a level of uncertainty. They have no timetable as to when Irving might return.
Last month, Irving spoke for the first time about his return. He was questioned about whether he would return by the playoffs. His response left fans shaken. Irving explained that he wants to be "150,000 % better" and for fans not to hold their "breath" that he'll be back by the playoffs. This should be enough of a reason for fans to eradicate any thoughts they had about the finals. If he doesn't return on time, this would be a ton of pressure on newly acquired guard D'Angelo Russell. This would be problematic, as Russell has yet to show he can play at a consistent level over the last few years.
If Irving's injury isn't enough to worry fans, they must also remember who Flagg is. He is an incoming 18-year-old rookie who has yet to set foot on an NBA court. This means that he will need time and experience to grow into a superstar. Dallas, as mentioned, caught a glimpse of him in the Summer League, but it's hard to argue it was enough.
Flagg, if you remember, struggled in his first Summer League game. He scored 10 points and shot 23.8 percent from the field. Flagg also missed all five of his 3-point attempts. While he improved in his second game, Flagg still struggled from distance. He went 3-9 from long range and didn't shoot it as well as Mavericks fans hoped. So, it's easy to believe he will need this season to continue working on his shooting form.
Lastly, fans can't forget Anthony Davis' injury history. His history of injuries should also cause fans to worry. Last season, Davis played nine games for Dallas after being traded in February. He missed five games with the Los Angeles Lakers before before traded. Davis also missed 26 games during the 2022-23 season, and 42 games during the 2021-22 campaign.
These three situations should be enough reasons to have fans worried. It means the team's playoff run may not be as easy as fans were forced into believing.
A Mavs' front office executive spoke on the situation. They believe in the opposite. Dallas seems to imply they could be one of the top contending teams in the West.
"Whenever you trade a truly great player, it’s going to hurt. We love AD (Anthony Davis) and we feel like we’re in a good position to have a great team moving forward. With better health this year, we’ll be near the top of the conference going into the playoffs. That’s the goal," front office executive said.
This implies that the team believes things will work in their favor. They seem to think that they could be one of the top playoff teams. Dallas has hope that Irving will return on time, that Flagg will develop quickly, and that Davis will be fully healthy the whole season. Plus, it implies Russell will be everything the Mavs need.
The problem with the statement presented and their philosophy is that everything is basically based on concepts like health. Everything mentioned above, would have to go right for things to work out. The issue is, Dallas has a tough hill to climb, which makes things unbelieveable.
So Mavs fans shouldn't get their hopes up too high. The quote presented gives reason to believe Dallas can achieve their goal; however, there are too many issues for everything to go right and for the Mavs to snag a top seed. The Mavericks might have to wait until the 2026-27 season to be true contenders. By then, Irving will be fully healthy and Flagg will have a season under his belt. Basically, patience will be the Mavs' best friend the next two seasons. Time to bring things back down to reality.