Former Maverick reveals exactly how Mavericks should build around Cooper Flagg

Former Dallas Maverick Tim Legler is an acclaimed NBA analyst and color commentator now, and he recently took to the "DLLS Mavs Podcast" to discuss how the Mavericks can optimize their roster as they build around Cooper Flagg for the future.

"You're going to need a couple of things, I think you definitely need athletic, defensive-minded wings, and guys that can play off his passing ability as slashers, cutters, you need some of that," Legler said. "But you also desperately need shooting, I mean they didn't have enough floor-spacing last year, so they need guys that are natural scorers that are going to be comfortable playing off the ball, let Cooper Flagg do what he does."

Legler's insights echo the same sentiment most Mavericks fans have in regard to building around Flagg, and Dallas should try to follow this exact blueprint. He's on the right track for what the Mavericks need, and their improvement in these areas would put them in a great spot as they look to return to the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2024.

His call for Dallas to acquire more shooting is a huge key point, as Flagg's drive-and-kick ability, as well as his ability to pass on the run, demands a roster that ranks higher than just the 26th-best 3-point percentage shooting team in the league last season.

Legler says Flagg needs offensive-minded and versatile wings around him

Hybrid 3-and-D wings are one of the most coveted prototypes in the modern NBA, and as Legler said, these are the type of players that Flagg needs to be surrounded by to maximize his talent, as he is already very developed as a playmaker and a finisher from the wing position.

Legler later went on to say that Dallas should be looking for more of an offensive-minded player within the top-10 of the draft as well, but he definitely didn't make it sound like it's essential for this to be a guard. Most analysts and fans are expecting Dallas to select a guard with the ninth pick in the upcoming draft, but the type of player Legler described Dallas needs around Flagg sounds more similar to someone like Yaxel Lendeborg or Nate Ament.

These players mirror Flagg's skillset in some capacity, but could also space the floor and cut off him as well, making them perfect fits for Legler's idealized type of role player next to Flagg. However, the Mavericks' need for a guard can't be refuted, especially with Kyrie Irving only getting older, so it will be interesting to see if Dallas goes in the same direction Legler basically recommended, as they very well could, given Masai Ujiri's history of selecting long and athletic wings.

It will be interesting to see if Dallas follows Legler's model in the draft

Whichever position Dallas ends up picking for, though, these types of players will need to fill out the rest of their roster over time, to Legler's point, even if they draft a point guard in the upcoming draft.

Dallas could definitely use another offensive initiator in their lineup, but Flagg himself isn't a polished 3-point shooter quite yet, so shooting has to be a huge priority with any draft pick or free agent acquisition they go after.

Shooting may need to be even more of a priority when building around Flagg compared to former Maverick Luka Doncic, as Doncic created many wide-open looks through his passing and took a ton of threes by himself as well. Flagg is a great playmaker, but he's not at the same level as Doncic in terms of being able to spoon-feed wide-open looks to other players to help boost their percentages from outside all the time, so that has to be the No. 1 priority for Dallas.

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