The Dallas Mavericks are at the end of a disappointing season, but Cooper Flagg thinks he and his team will be in elite company in 2026-27.
The Dallas Mavericks may have been one of the worst teams in the NBA this season, but fans aren't expecting them to be putrid for much longer.
Cooper Flagg looks ready to lead a team to the playoffs, and the return next season of Kyrie Irving should only bolster the offense. Add in the lottery pick Dallas boasts this offseason, and the 2026-27 team should still be raw but much improved.
In the Mavericks' last game, the San Antonio Spurs got the better of them, led by 40 points from Victor Wembanyama. Flagg, to his credit, had 33 of his own and looked like the second-best player on the floor.
NBA fans can expect to be treated to a Lone Star State rivalry for the next several years, and Flagg doesn't think it'll take too long for him and the Mavs to be on Wemby and the Spurs' level.
Cooper Flagg Previews Rivalry With Spurs, Wemby
On top of the Texas rivalry brewing between Flagg and Wembanyama, there's an international flair as well. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson and LeBron James and Stephen Curry put aside their beef in pursuit of Olympic Gold.
Flagg and Wembanyama, meanwhile, will always be international opponents, setting the stage for a rivalry like the league has never seen.
"He's something different that you don't see every day," said Flagg of Wembanyama. "He's knocking out shots, getting to his spots. It's tough to stop."
While Wembanyama is undoubtedly the better player now, Flagg is excited for next season, when the Mavericks take a step forward and are able to compete with San Antonio.
"It's fun to be able to just compete in a high-level game like that," Flagg added. "I think it'll be cool. We're looking into the future for us next season, getting a lot better and improving, and hopefully we'll get a lot more wins next year. Just looking into the future, hopefully, you know, we come back next year and compete, you know, a lot better."
The Mavericks went 0-4 this season against the Spurs, but the NBA Southwest Division is a hotbed of young talent. Between the Spurs, Mavericks, and Rockets (plus the injury-riddled Grizzlies and Pelicans), expect the deep south to dominate the league for the next decade...or more.