The Dallas Mavericks are shamelessly tanking away the 2025-26 season in an effort to add young talent around Cooper Flagg, but fans shouldn't expect more of the same next season.
You can't tank forever, or at least you shouldn't.
After trading away Anthony Davis and shutting down talks of Kyrie Irving returning this season, the Dallas Mavericks have fully embraced the fact that they will not contend this year. That means they can fully embrace a rebuild and land a premier young talent in the draft to pair with Cooper Flagg.
However, 2026 will be their only chance to tank. After this year, the Mavericks don't own a draft pick outright until 2031, so there's no point in losing games on purpose.
Fans shouldn't worry, as the Mavericks are poised to bounce back in a big way in the 2026-27 campaign.
Why a Rebuild Won't Last Long in Dallas
The Mavericks have already done the hardest part of any rebuild: they found a franchise piece to build around. Look at the Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz: they have ample young talent, but no one is poised to make All-NBA teams and shoulder a deep playoff run.
Cooper Flagg is here; now it's about building around him.
The Mavericks are going to have a high draft pick in 2026. It might not be in the top five, but they should be able to land a player with a high ceiling. On top of that, key supporting players like Daniel Gafford, PJ Washington, and Max Christie are all locked up for the next few years. Only Naji Marshall could sign an extension this season.
That means Dallas will have roughly $48 million to spend in free agency. It could be used to bring back free agents like Brandon Williams, or Dallas could take a big swing and land a win-now veteran to pair with Irving and Flagg while their rookie develops.
Names like Norman Powell, Coby White, Anfernee Simons, and Quentin Grimes stand out as unrestricted free agents in the summer.
By adding any of those players, Dallas can boost their offense without sacraficing their long-term vision. Does this mean the Mavericks will be back in the Finals next season? Nope, but they could return to relevancy, and it's a long way back to the top.
Luckily, by drafting Flagg last season, the hardest part is already done.