Dallas Mavericks Need to Avoid Costly Mistake That Doomed Golden State Warriors

The Dallas Mavericks are not in the situation they thought they'd be a year ago. They wanted to build a veteran team around Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, but they missed the playoffs after trading Luka Doncic, and injuries sank the team in 2025. However, they lucked out by jumping up to the first overall pick in the NBA Lottery, awarding them Cooper Flagg.

That puts the Mavs on an entirely different timeline. Flagg is already the face of the franchise, even with Irving still being on the roster. Anthony Davis was traded away at this year's trade deadline, creating future financial flexibility they didn't have before.

However, that puts the Mavericks at a crossroads. Do they chase two timelines, like the Golden State Warriors tried to do years ago? Or do they sell off veterans and fully embrace the timeline around Cooper Flagg?

ESPN's Jeremy Woo released his latest mock draft, where he had the Mavs taking Mikel Brown Jr. if they stick with the 8th overall pick. However, he also noted that "What Dallas likely won't want to do is straddle two timelines, meaning that finding trade value for a healthy Irving likely becomes prudent if he gets back to top form."

The two-timeline approach sort of worked for the Warriors, as they won a championship in 2022, but the two lottery picks they had in 2021 didn't really contribute to that. Instead, they kicked the can down the road, chasing veterans to pair with Stephen Curry as they tried to extend their title window, and their future looks BLEAK.

The Mavericks may look to do the opposite. If they traded Irving, as well as a few other valuable veterans like Daniel Gafford, Naji Marshall, and P.J. Washington, that could set them on the path to contend for a long time with Cooper Flagg.

Feb 27, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) reacts after scoring against the Charlotte Hornets during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Dallas Mavericks Should Be All In On Building Around Cooper Flagg, But Don't Expect Any Kyrie Irving Trades

As much as the Mavericks need to focus on rebuilding around Cooper Flagg, that doesn't mean they're going to trade Kyrie Irving anytime soon. Masai Ujiri said in his introductory press conference that he wants to see Irving and Flagg play together.

They could still trade other veterans, but restocking the cupboard with draft picks would be huge. They managed to get five draft picks out of the Anthony Davis trade, but they need more, especially when you consider that they won't control their own first-round pick until 2031 after this year's draft.

Add us as a preferred source on Google