Mavericks' Anthony Davis trade could create another Cooper Flagg dream scenario

The Dallas Mavericks finally traded Anthony Davis on Wednesday afternoon, as they traded him, D'Angelo Russell, Dante Exum, and Jaden Hardy to the Washington Wizards for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, two first-round picks, and three second-round picks, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Dallas ended the Anthony Davis experiment after just one year, and this deal with Washington may just put them in the perfect spot to secure Cooper Flagg's co-star in the 2026 NBA Draft. Not only do the Mavericks now own the Oklahoma City Thunder's 2026 first-round pick from this trade, but they're also in a good spot to tank for the remainder of the season with the hope that they jump up in the lottery once again.

Dallas fully controls their first-round pick this summer, and they can't afford to mess around. The Mavs don't fully control their own first-round pick again until 2031, and they can't play with fate. Dallas is now in an ideal spot to pack it in for the season and wave the white flag, and this could end up helping Flagg tremendously by getting him some help.

Mavericks are in prime position to climb NBA Draft Lottery

Dallas shocked the world last season when they won the NBA Draft Lottery despite only having a 1.8 percent chance of doing so, and they should embrace the tank right now.

Without Davis, the Mavericks aren't in a position to compete in a loaded Western Conference by any means, and shutting down Kyrie Irving should be next in line of business. There's no point in bringing him back from his ACL tear this season, and resting him until the 2026-27 season will only help Dallas expedite the tank.

This is the opportunity of a lifetime for the Mavericks, as the 2026 NBA Draft class is extremely loaded, and jumping into the top four would be game-changing. Cooper Flagg changed everything for Dallas, and we could see a similar effect if the Mavs can land one of the players at the top of this year's class.

Pairing a player like Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer, or AJ Dybantsa with Cooper Flagg would guarantee that Dallas has one of the best young cores in the West, and they'd be set for years to come if they can hit on this pick. Dallas, of course, needs to move up in the lottery to even have a chance at landing one of the aforementioned players, but the opportunity is up for the taking now.

None of the players that Dallas brought in are going to make a major impact on the Mavericks, as this deal was mostly about creating future cap flexibility and acquiring future draft assets. While Dallas should be excited about landing two future first-round picks in this deal, their own first-round pick this summer is what needs to be their main priority.

The Mavericks have the chance to land a future superstar to pair with Flagg if they tank effectively, and the rest of this season should be viewed through a lens that emphasizes Flagg's future over everything. Dallas is just 5.5 games back from having the fourth-best odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick this season, and they could find themselves in another Cooper Flagg dream scenario depending on how they finish the season.