Mavericks quietly sitting in perfect spot to land Cooper Flagg's dream co-star

Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg, without a doubt, should be the Rookie of the Year, but the perfect teammate might be playing some of the best basketball of his life at Illinois right now. The Mavericks need to get Flagg some help, and the best way to do this will be through the 2026 NBA Draft.

Keaton Wagler for Illinois has been one of the surprises of college basketball this season. Kylan Boswell is the veteran star for Illinois. Ever since his injury, Wagler has shown off his limitless range and tough dribble-drives. Flagg's IQ and passing abilities could open up Wagler to become another surprise, that is, if Wagler commits to the NBA.

If the Mavs end up with the sixth to ninth selection, they are in a prime position to select Wagler if he does end up going the NBA route. The Mavs may not have enough losses by the end of the season to tank for BYU's AJ Dybantsa, but Wagler is enough. Maybe the Mavs don't need another player who's 6-foot-9. Few thought Wagler would be in this position, but he's trending upward at the perfect time, and he has a perfect home waiting for him in Big D if he's still on the board when they're on the clock.

Keaton Wagler would be a dream fit next to Cooper Flagg

At 6-foot-6, 185 pounds, Wagler may look undersized and skinny, but he doesn't let that hinder him from his driving skills. His limitless shooting and confidence could really help Dallas in the long run. Dallas' 3-point shooting has been awful from the beginning, and while they aren't the worst in the league, the Mavs are at around 34 percent for the season as a team.

Wagler started as the 150th-ranked recruit in his class according to 247 Sports, only getting two offers from two Power 4 schools, Illinois and Minnesota.

Since then, he's ignited the Fighting Illini as the go-to scorer, and he leads all Big Ten freshmen in points per game. His 46 points against Purdue were his peak, but he's continued to be the alpha dog of a loaded Illinois team. A guard-forward tandem like Flagg and Wagler could end up becoming a major story, and ultimately, they'd form one of the best young duos in the NBA.

Wagler could be the perfect wing with Max Christie next to Kyrie Irving. Christie has already proven that he can be starting material, and considering he'll soon be a veteran compared to Wagler, the former Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard would probably get the starting nod. Brandon Williams has also proven to be a reliable backup point guard, and he looks like he fits the mold as a true Dallas fan favorite.

It looked like Daniel Gafford would be traded at the trade deadline, but as long as he gets healthy for 2026-27 and Dereck Lively II comes back strong, the Mavs don't have to worry about getting any bigs. There aren't many talented big men anyway, so it's not a problem for the Mavs.

There are plenty of other guards on the board, but most of those are point guards. Houston's Kingston Flemings and Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr. aren't bad at all, but the Mavs don't need any more point guards. They already have Irving. They need to build around Flagg as much as they can. Wagler would be an incredible start to the Cooper Flagg era.