Mavericks Land Point Guard Pairing for Cooper Flagg in Latest Mock Draft

With the various reports of the Mavericks’ seemingly offloading Anthony Davis in the coming months comes a much more positive thought: Dallas is ready to build around Cooper Flagg.

Anthony Davis is expected to be traded before the trade deadline, per @ChrisBHaynes pic.twitter.com/ZP7XkuYt0n
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) January 1, 2026

The team cashed in on just a 1.8% chance at landing the top pick at last year’s draft, and now has a focal point to move forward with.

After a slow start, Flagg’s been fully unleashed, pushing his season averages to 19.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 49% from the field and 28% from three. At freshly 19, he’s obviously one of the best young players in the league, and a worthy jumping off point for the Mavericks in terms of a quick rebuild.

Star guard Kyrie Irving should be making an early 2026 return at some point, though that didn’t stop us from choosing a point guard for the Mavericks in the most recent On SI mock draft.

With the ninth pick, Dallas grabbed Alabama’s Labaron Philon, a perfect long-term guard to pair with Flagg.

At 6-foot-4, the Crimson Tide guard earned some draft acclaim last season, but opted to return for his sophomore year in hopes of bolstering his stock. He’s done just that in literally doubling his offensive output, scoring just under 22 points per game on 55% shooting across non-conference play.

Philon has upgraded in the scoring and passing departments in a major way, looking like one of the best players in the country while seeing little defensive falloff. Best of all, he’s blossomed his 3-point shooting to 42% on over five attempts per game, which if it holds, will make him a bonafide lottery talent.

Philon, while certainly different than Flagg, has the same claim to a high-floor in many categories. He can fill it up with the ball in-hand, or find ways to score without. He has a fine defensive floor and ceiling, able to jump lanes and prod the ball away from handlers, and currently has a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

The primary appeal behind Philon will be his crisp handle, which is among the best in the entire draft class. Flagg’s an all-around player at 6-foot-9, though his handle — at least in getting around tough point-of-attack defenders — leaves room for improvement. Philon’s ability to break down the first line of defense would be especially potent for this Dallas team, who has struggled with that this season.

The Mavericks, reportedly, seem keen on keeping Irving on the squad, which doesn't detract from this pick. Irving's been known to thrive alongside other guards before, or Philon could learn the ropes as a sixth-man guard before taking the reigns down the road. Even more, Irving's similarly handle-based game could be a great way for Philon to get even better over the next few years.

Dallas will have multiple options with their '26 pick, though taking a point guard could be the best choice for the future.