Mavericks just revealed the Cooper Flagg master plan they desperately needed

The Dallas Mavericks made their direction clear after trading Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards, as they are fully ready to begin building around Cooper Flagg. He has been an absolute stud throughout his 48 games in the league, averaging 20.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 48.4 percent from the field, and Mavs' co-interim general managers Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley know the exact type of players that they want to add around him.

Riccardi and Finley spoke last week ahead of Dallas' game against the San Antonio Spurs, and their vision is clear. They want to get back to competing for titles, and it all starts with putting the right squad around their 19-year-old star.

"We want guys that embody what the gentleman you just mentioned embodies, which is the toughness, the high IQ players, unselfish, hard-nosed defenders, care about the team more than they care about themselves," Riccardi said.

Dallas has a plan to become champions again with Flagg

They already have the blueprint to building a championship team around Flagg. Now, they just need to utilize it and have an incredible offseason.

Adding tough defenders that play smart on both ends of the floor is a recipe for success to give Dallas a good shot at returning to contention. Flagg is way ahead of his years in this department, as he is an extremely instinctual defender and makes the right play over and over again offensively, and bringing in players that are similar in that way will be a great complement for him.

On top of their emphasis on bringing in players with a certain archetype to play with Flagg, they want players with great character as well. This is extremely important as they try to build good culture in Dallas, and there's not a better player on the roster to build around on a culture standpoint than Flagg.

He has thrived alongside Max Christie and Naji Marshall, two players who are strong defenders and take care of the ball on the other end, and keeping them at the trade deadline was crucial as Dallas looks to improve and make the playoffs next season. The Mavericks prioritized keeping both players, and they should each play a key role in Dallas for years to come.

Regardless though, the Mavs' road back to the playoffs will run through free agency and the draft, though. Dallas doesn't have enough pieces right now to return to being one of the best teams in the Western Conference, and they have to hit on their first-round pick this year.

As of now, Dallas has the seventh-best odds of netting the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and they seem like they'll be a lock to pick in the top 10. This is the Mavs' one chance to draft a co-star for Flagg, as they don't fully control their first-round pick again until 2031.

They'll have plenty of solid players to pick from, as this is one of the strongest draft classes in recent memory. Dallas could position themselves to have one of the more promising young cores in the NBA if they hit on this year's pick, and fans are excited to see how this summer unfolds.

The Mavs have a roadmap in place to turn the page and begin the Cooper Flagg era on a high note, and bringing in players that fit around him on and off the court will be a good start.