Mavericks just made a crucial Cooper Flagg decision before the season even ends

The Dallas Mavericks will have plenty of decisions to make this offseason, from free agency to the NBA Draft to any potential trades. All of those looming choices have one thing in common: they will all be made with Cooper Flagg in mind. Not even 20 years old, Flagg is already good enough for the Mavericks to plan their entire future around.

The first of those Flagg-centric decisions appears to have already been made, but it doesn't involve the roster. Jason Kidd seems to be secure in his spot as Mavericks head coach, according to NBA insider Marc Stein, who wrote that, "League sources say that the Mavericks want Jason Kidd to continue to serve as prized rookie Cooper Flagg's coach..." also mentioning that the Mavericks are searching for a GM who will work with Kidd on building out the roster around Flagg.

This reception to this among Mavs fans will likely be lukewarm. Not because Kidd is roundly disliked in fan circles (although Mark Cuban claiming Kidd was involved in the Luka trade could change that), but it's fair to want a fresh start in all facets of the team: the roster and front office will both undergo makeovers, but the coaching staff seemingly won't.

Jason Kidd is the guy for the job of developing Cooper Flagg

Apparently. It was admittedly a rocky start for the Flagg - Kidd partnership this year, as the coach didn't know where exactly to play the player. But despite an awkward start, Flagg has been pretty much everything fans hoped he would be; a statline of 20 / 6 / 4 / 2.1 stocks is stellar for any rookie, and things smoothed out along the way.

It's fair to give Kidd a shot with a healthy, competitive team in 2026-27. Despite a bit of (probably unwarranted) hype in the preseason from some high-profile talking heads, this Mavericks season was never going to include a playoff push. If things still look clunky in April of next year, then it might be time for more serious conversations about what's best for Flagg's future. But it's far too early to judge Kidd's ability to develop the young franchise player, seeing as Kidd had to deal with an oft-injured, constantly changing roster this year, which he shouldn't shoulder any of the blame for.

We know Jason Kidd can win at a high level coaching the Mavericks. Of course, the situation has changed, but he does deserve a chance to coach a competitive roster centered around Cooper Flagg — and it sounds like he will get that chance.