NBA 2K27 ratings spark an intriguing Cooper Flagg conversation for Mavericks fans

NBA 2K is slowly revealing the player ratings for NBA 2K27 ahead of its release on September 4, and yesterday's post of the 40th through 31st-rated players in the league should spark an intriguing conversation that Dallas Mavericks fans should keep an eye on ahead of next season.

Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving were both ranked as 87 overall. This ranked 37th and 36th in the NBA, respectively, with Irving taking the slight edge over his second-year teammate. With Dallas' two stars so closely rated, this presents the point that Flagg could truly emerge as the Mavericks' best player next season.

Cooper Flagg has a chance to become the real alpha in Dallas

He had an amazing rookie season, winning Rookie of the Year and dropping 96 points combined in two games in April, and thiss was just the start of how dominant he can be. Flagg already looks like one of the most disruptive defenders in the NBA, especially off the ball, and his finishing around the rim spearheaded an offensive game that has plenty of room to grow.

Coop becoming a better player than Irving and taking the reins as the superstar of the team would require a big jump, though, especially if Irving returns to peak form after missing all of last season with a torn ACL. Kyrie looked like one of the best guards in the NBA before tearing his ACL in March of 2025, and he remains one of the most skilled players of all time.

Irving has a special ability to handle the ball and knock down open shots, and he has a knack for showing up in big moments — especially when the game is on the line. He has become one of the most beloved Mavericks in recent memory due to his contributions over the last few seasons, and there's no better player to pass the torch to Flagg than Irving.

While it remains unknown how Irving will look upon returning from injury, there's a world in which Flagg is the best player on the team as soon as next season. The NBA 2K team seems to believe this, as they gave the two players the same rating, and Flagg taking this big of a jump would be crucial for Dallas.

What Flagg surpassing Irving means for the Mavericks

This would mean that his offensive game would have taken some significant strides after last season, and he would be well on his way to becoming one of the faces of the NBA. He's already one of the best young players in the league, but surpassing Irving, someone who helped mentor him during his rookie year, would be a huge step that Mavericks fans should love.

Flagg's time isn't the future. It's right now.

He proved that at the end of last season, and next season will give him the chance to prove that even more. Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz have emphasized putting more young, talented players around the new franchise cornerstone this offseason, and Flagg turning into the headliner of this Mavericks roster would mean that they could be much better than expected.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow