Mavericks' rumored focus is exactly what fans begged for

Dallas Mavericks fans who have been watching all season know exactly what the next assignment is. The only real worry from now until the end of the season is to see if Cooper Flagg can beat out his former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel for NBA Rookie of the Year. With that said, the next assignment is to get their next star next to Flagg through the NBA Draft.

That's what Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi have been doing lately. The co-interim GMs have already been at work during the season, as NBA insider Marc Stein reported that Finley and Riccardi are currently scouting ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft.

"Both Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley are out scouting," Stein said. "They're not with the team. That is where the focus is for this franchise right now. Getting as much data as they can on all these names that we talk about."

Mavericks fans have been excited about the draft for months now, and they should be ecstatic that the franchise is already laser-focused on it.

Mavericks' front office is already locked in on the 2026 NBA Draft

It's incredibly normal to see NBA GMs scouting college kids in the middle of the season to find their next star, especially right before March Madness. A former NBA player and GM like Finley is perfect to build connections with college coaches to gather intel on these athletes. We don't know where Riccardi and Finley will be, but there is plenty of good basketball being played across the country right now.

No coach or GM will ever say the words, but the Mavs executives seem fairly content that they aren't going anywhere this year. It's a great opportunity to get started early. Finley and Riccardi are already doing that.

With injuries and inconsistent play all season long, the only thing Mavs fans have to look forward to is Flagg. He's already looked like an extremely mature 19-year-old on the court.

Who the Mavericks may target in the 2026 NBA Draft

The SEC is holding their tournament in Nashville, and the Mavs have a perfect excuse to draft the SEC Player of the Year and SEC Freshman of the Year, Darius Acuff Jr. He looks to be the do-it-all guard who's almost as fearless attacking the basket and shooting pull-up jump shots like Irving.

Riccardi and Finley may also check out Kansas City for the Big 12 tournament, as BYU's AJ Dybantsa has been one of the more dynamic players in the country all season long. Duke's Cam Boozer is another player to watch if the Mavs jump into the top three. The chances of the Mavs moving up there aren't impossible, and they're actually far from zero.

One name that the Mavs may be moving on from is Keaton Wagler. For most of the season, he's looked like the freshman who came out of nowhere to climb draft boards, but his physicality has been a concern recently. When Illinois was up against Oregon and Maryland, two of the Big Ten laughingstocks, it was tough for Wagler to buy a bucket. He struggled massively, shooting a combined 7/21 on field goals and 2/10 from deep in both games.

His athleticism and physicality may have been exposed, and it doesn't look like the same elite athleticism we've seen from someone like Acuff Jr. Against Michigan, the 6-foot-6 freshman put on a show against one of the toughest teams in the country. He's shown strides, but can he be someone to pop out in the spotlight with Flagg right away?

Maybe or maybe not, but the Mavs' front office is already serious looking for Flagg's next co-star.