Mark Cuban's obsession with this Mavericks idea is officially going way too far

The Dallas Mavericks fanbase will probably never forgive Nico Harrison for trading away Luka Doncic, but it's time to look ahead to a new era with Cooper Flagg being the next great star of the city. It's rare that the Mavs got this chance, especially that they lost a generational talent just a few months before gaining another, but they did. And they ended up with one of the greatest prospects in NBA history. We just might be looking at the next LeBron James, Michael Jordan, or Kobe Bryant with Flagg.

The fanbase tore apart Nico Harrison, but they also didn't allow former owner Mark Cuban off the hook either, partly because he sold the team. If he stays as the owner, he probably would've never allowed the Doncic trade to happen, and fans were livid at Cuban for simply taking a step back from basketball operations. Now, he's back in the spotlight, making claims that Dereck Lively II is going to become a 3-point shooter one day. After the Mavs' win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night, Cuban teased Lively II taking 2-3 threes per game at some point next season and Dallas being able to play five-out, but this may just be false hope.

Lively has only taken three threes in his career, with the only made shot coming from Game 4 of the 2024 NBA Finals. With fans still not allowing Cuban off the hook from the aftermath of the Doncic, this is probably careless from the former owner to be toying around with an idea that hasn't even come to life yet.

Cuban may want to pump the brakes on the Lively II 3-point hype

Last summer, Lively II was in the lab working on his deep-range shooting. This was going to be the beginning of Lively II becoming one of the more dominant centers in the NBA. His catch off the lob and his defense will be some of his best assets. While he's looking to build a long-range shot, it's apparent that this is going to be more of a long-term project. Cuban still believes in Lively II to let it fly.

"And if we can get D-Live shooting some threes," Cuban said last week when breaking down the different ways the Mavs can play. "Now all of a sudden, we can play five-out with D-Live in the corner and Cooper, or whoever, (can) get him the ball."

There was definitely growing optimism on Lively II developing a long-range shot going back to late in the regular season in 2024. The only setback has been injuries, and while Lively II can't control when he gets injured, he just needs to get back to playing to his true roots.

Cuban is already on thin ice with Mavs fans from the Doncic trade; he needs to be careful with his wording about Lively II before he becomes responsible for any inaccuracy. Lively II shooting two or three threes a game next season is honestly an extreme take to say. Especially because when Lively II did play, we never saw him shoot from the perimeter last season.

It's not impossible to say that Lively II will become a threat one day from the perimeter, but he has to take baby steps in order for that to happen. Mavs fans love to see him in the lab shooting threes; he just has to be patient, and so does Cuban.