Mavs Are Rebuilding on the Fly — And Flagg Is the Trigger

Eighteen months after the NBA's most radioactive trade shook the basketball world, the Dallas Mavericks are crawling back toward relevance. And this summer, they didn't just patch the roster — they blew up the blueprint and started fresh.

New president Masai Ujiri. New coach Dusty May. A shiny new frontcourt rotation. And one very special 20-year-old named Cooper Flagg who's supposed to make all of it work. Here's the full breakdown of a chaotic, fascinating offseason in Big D.

Offseason At A Glance: All-In on Flagg

Key additions: F Morez Johnson Jr. (No. 9 pick), F Zaccharie Risacher (via trade), PLUS Santi Aldama, Marcus Sasser, and Tarik Biberovic via a six-team monster deal.

Key retentions: Moussa Cisse (matched that Knicks offer sheet).

Key subtractions: Khris Middleton, Ryan Nembhard.

The headliners are the suits. After a season-long search, governor Patrick Dumont landed Masai Ujiri — the man who built Toronto's 2019 title team — to run the show. Ujiri's first power move? Showing Jason Kidd the door and replacing him with Michigan's Dusty May, who just cut down the nets in the NCAA tournament.

And here's the kicker: May's new frontcourt is full of familiar faces. Morez Johnson Jr. played for him in Ann Arbor. Then Dallas traded for Santi Aldama, grabbed former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher, and kept the young core intact. They're loading up around Flagg like he's a franchise pillar — because he is.

Zach Kram's offseason grade: B-. The logic? Dallas has a logjam of big forwards and basically zero proven depth at guard. That's a lot of talent — but someone's got to create shots.

What We Learned: Ujiri Got Straight To Work

Ben Golliver's lesson from the summer: Ujiri didn't waste a second. Every move was designed to make life easier for Flagg. Johnson plays with a motor that doesn't quit on either end. Sergio de Larrea sees the floor like a veteran. Risacher gives the offense spacing. And yes, Kyrie Irving's eventual return should help too — even if the 34-year-old isn't the same explosive version of himself.

The Mavs ranked 27th in offensive efficiency during a brutal 26-win slog last season. That's putrid. But with all these new toys, May has enough firepower to actually move the needle. If Flagg takes a sophomore leap into All-Star territory, Dallas could sniff the play-in.

The Big Question: Can Kyrie Be Kyrie Again?

For Dallas to be a real playoff threat, they need nine-time All-Star Kyrie Irving to look like the guy who tore his left ACL in March 2025. Before the injury, he was averaging 24.7 points and 4.6 assists on hyper-efficient shooting while playing at an All-NBA level.

The new front office sees Irving and Flagg as a dream pairing — Kyrie handles the heavy lifting, Flagg gets easier looks. But Kyrie is 34, and Dallas is building for the long haul around Flagg. At some point, trade rumors are inevitable. Right now? Everyone in Dallas is buzzing about the comeback.

BPI Says No. 21 — But Numbers Don't Tell Everything

ESPN's Basketball Power Index has the Mavs at No. 21 overall. Not great, but not hopeless.

Dean Oliver's Net Points data paints a clearer picture: Flagg closed the season like a monster. He was minus-1.0 net points per 48 minutes in November, then flipped to plus-0.5 from December onward, and exploded for plus-6.2 against brutal April competition. That late surge basically sealed his Rookie of the Year trophy. If that version shows up from Day 1 next season, watch out.

Biggest X Factor: Max Christie

Christie just put up a career-best 12.3 PPG and knocked down 40% of his triples. He's ready for a bigger role. But here's the problem: he's not yet a proven perimeter stopper — and he'll be guarding the other team's best guard alongside Kyrie.

More than that, Christie might be the only traditional shooting guard on a roster stacked with bigs. If he doesn't take another step at age 23, Dallas could get torched on the outside all season long.

Betting Insider: Take The Under On Wins

Our guy Eric Moody says to ride the Under 34.5 wins (-115).

Reasoning? Outside of Irving, there's not a reliable shot-creator on this roster. And Kyrie's age + ACL recovery = massive uncertainty. Flagg will improve, but the supporting cast is thin, and rookie head coach Dusty May is going to learn some hard lessons. Dallas should be better than 26 wins — but 36? That's a reach.

DraftKings has the number posted at time of publication. If you're feeling bold, smash that under and watch the rebuild grind.