Dallas eyes strategic moves to surround Cooper Flagg with talent, aiming to build a championship contender from the ground up after significant franchise decisions.
The Dallas Mavericks' season has not been exactly what they were hoping for, but they still have one of the best young players in the entire league after picking him first overall in the 2025 NBA Draft.
So, how will the team go about building around Cooper Flagg to give him the best possible chance at leading the team to a deep playoff run in the near future?
In a recent article by Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley, he outlines one question that he thinks each NBA team needs to answer sooner rather than later. For the Mavs, it is how they could best position Flagg for success.
"The Mavs have probably tanked as low as they're going to get. This would, in theory, be a great time to develop some of their young talent, but they don't have anyone to showcase other than Flagg," Buckley writes. "Whether it's pass-first guards, low-maintenance spacers, rim-runners or small-ball stretch bigs, Dallas will know what to target as it attempts to grow a contender from the ground up."
What makes this situation particularly challenging is the lack of complementary young talent. Outside of Flagg, there aren’t many clear building blocks on the roster. But as a result of their less-than-stellar season, the Mavericks could find themselves with a solid pick in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft.
And we have seen many teams build their young core entirely through the draft, which has led them to contention.
Every draft pick, trade, and free-agent signing should be made with one goal in mind—maximizing Flagg’s potential. If the Mavericks get that part right, they won’t just be developing a player; they’ll be constructing the foundation of their next contender.
Trading away Luka Doncic was a move that made just about everyone scratch their heads. So if you're going to make that move, you better be ready to properly build around the next superstar that comes after him.
In many ways, this is the beginning of a new era in Dallas. The pressure is significant, but so is the upside. If the Mavericks can answer this “million-dollar question,” they could set themselves up for sustained success over the next decade.