The Dallas Mavericks are entering the 2026-27 NBA season with fresh intentions. With Cooper Flagg as the face of the franchise, the Mavericks know they need to build for the future without sacrificing too many wins.
There is enough talent in Flagg to fight for a play-in spot, but there are also legitimate questions that could prevent the Mavericks from becoming a team to watch in an increasingly loaded Western Conference.
From an uncertain future of key players to a lack of proven depth, here are the five biggest concerns facing Dallas before the 2026-27 season tips off.
5. Center Depth Is A Concern
The Mavericks have talent at center, but it comes with uncertainty. Dereck Lively II has shown flashes of becoming an impactful rim protector, but injuries have repeatedly interrupted his development.
The big man only played seven games last season, averaging 4.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.6 SPG, and 1.6 BPG on 61.1% FG. He only played 36 games the year before that, and 55 games in his rookie campaign. That is too many games missed by the age of 22.
Dallas believes Lively is its long-term answer in the middle, especially since he played a pivotal role in the 2024 Finals run (7.9 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.4 SPG, 1.0 BPG in that postseason), but until he proves he can stay healthy over an entire season, that belief remains more projection than reality.
Then there’s Daniel Gafford, whose future has become increasingly uncertain amid trade speculation. Gafford is one of the NBA’s most efficient finishers around the basket (9.5 PPG on 65.5% FG last season with a career average of 9.3 PPG on 70.2% FG), but at nearly 28 years old, he doesn’t fit what the Mavs need right now.
Not to mention, if Dallas views Lively as the franchise center moving forward, Gafford could become expendable.
That leaves the Mavericks in an awkward position. They have two talented centers, but one has durability concerns while the other could be moved before the season is over. Too many concerns over a very important position.
4. The Bench Is Unproven
Dallas doesn’t have that luxury of a capable bench right now. The Mavericks are expected to rely heavily on the likes of rookies Morez Johnson Jr and Sergio De Larrea, Marcus Sasser, the recently-acquired Zaccharie Risacher, and Naji Marshall to generate offense with the second unit.
While the roster has some intriguing upside, asking inexperienced players off the bench to consistently create shots against NBA bench units is a significant gamble.
Morez Johnson Jr looked the part in Summer League, posting 18.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.5 SPG, and 3.0 BPG over two games, but he is only 20 years old and will have to earn his stripes on the court as the No. 9 overall pick in the 2026 Draft.
De Larrea, taken No. 25 overall, arrives with impressive international experience and excellent court vision, but there will inevitably be an adjustment period for the 6’5″ point guard out of Spain.
The 25-year-old Sasser has flashed microwave-scoring ability throughout his young career (5.2 PPG, 2.0 APG on 41.5% 3-PT FG last season), yet he has never proven he can run an offense over extended stretches.
Zaccharie Risacher was just acquired, but he struggled last season with averages of 9.6 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.9 SPG, and 0.5 BPG on 45.5% FG and 36.8% 3-PT FG in 46 starts. Risacher was a former No. 1 overall pick, so perhaps that expectation has weighed on the 21-year-old so far.
Naji Marshall has shown flashes and had a strong season last year (15.2 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.1 BPG), but likely won’t be the Sixth Man of the Year candidate the Mavericks need as he approaches 29 years old.
If those players struggle, Dallas could find itself losing leads whenever Cooper Flagg (or potentially Kyrie Irving) heads to the bench.
For a team hoping to make noise in the West, that’s a dangerous weakness.
3. Cooper Flagg Needs More Offensive Help
The Mavericks drafted Cooper Flagg to become their franchise cornerstone two years ago, but he will likely have to carry the offense once again. He did great last season, posting 21.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 4.5 APG on 46.7% FG while winning Rookie of the Year, but it doesn’t get easier from here.
Even if Flagg eventually lives up to the enormous expectations surrounding him, second-year seasons are filled with growing pains. Defenses will quickly adjust, and there will be nights when the No. 1 overall pick simply looks like a 20-year-old learning the ropes of superstardom.
Outside of the injured and rehabbing Kyrie Irving (more on him later), Dallas doesn’t have another consistent high-level shot creator.
Klay Thompson is an elite shooter, but he’s no longer someone who can regularly create his own offense, and we don’t see him in a Mavs uniform next season. The fact that Klay has been on many teams’ radars, including the Miami Heat, places enormous pressure on Flagg to generate quality looks every night.
Max Christie, part of the Luka trade, is a defensive wing who has his offense come and go. He averaged 12.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.6 SPG, and 0.4 BPG on 44.1% FG and 40.4% 3-PT FG, but is he Flagg’s secondary co-star?
Santi Aldama was a smart signing for the Mavs, since he posted 14.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.9 APG, 0.9 SPG, and 0.7 BPG last season. But the Spaniard is hardly a shot-creator and thrives playing off stars who open the floor for everyone else.
If Dallas wants to maximize Flagg’s development, they need another dependable scorer, and they currently don’t have one.
2. Too Many Veterans That Don’t Fit
Dallas has experience, but the players that provide it don’t fit.
Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford were acquired to help the Mavericks compete around Luka Doncic. Now that Cooper Flagg has become the franchise cornerstone, the roster is stuck in the middle.
Thompson is a respected veteran and dangerous perimeter shooter (11.7 PPG on 38.3% 3-PT FG last season), but at this stage of his career he’s no longer the two-way star who helped build Golden State’s dynasty. There are also too many rumors floating about Klay potentially leaving Dallas, and we see the Heat being the perfect fit.
Washington is a solid starting-caliber forward (14.2 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.1 BPG) but could become a valuable trade asset if Dallas decides to accumulate younger talent. Washington is set to earn $19,813,044, $21,398,088, $22,983,132, and $24,568,176 over the next four seasons and is almost 28 years old.
Gafford’s name has consistently surfaced in trade discussions as the Mavericks evaluate their long-term plans at center. The 28-year-old is set to earn $17,263,584, $18,126,763, and $18,989,942 over the next three seasons.
Keeping this group together may help Dallas remain competitive in the short term, but it could also delay the franchise from fully committing to building around Flagg.
1. Kyrie Irving’s Future Up In The Air
No storyline is bigger than Kyrie Irving’s future. Irving is one of the NBA’s most gifted offensive players, posting 24.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.3 SPG, and 0.5 BPG on 47.3% FG and 40.1% 3-PT FG in 2024-25 before a knee injury sidelined him last season.
When healthy and engaged, the 34-year-old gives Dallas an offensive superstar few teams can match. The problem is uncertainty.
Irving’s contract situation continues to generate speculation, and every decision Dallas makes revolves around whether it believes he’ll remain the long-term co-star next to Cooper Flagg. Irving will make $39,491,282 next season with a player option worth $42,416,562 in 2027-28.
Committing another massive contract to a player entering the later stages of his career carries obvious risks, but letting a player of Irving’s caliber eventually walk would also leave a massive void. At the very least, trade rumors involving Kyrie to an Eastern Conference contender and potentially another up-and-coming squad.
Ultimately, the Mavericks’ championship hopes hinge on this decision. If Irving stays healthy and embraces mentoring Flagg while still performing at an All-Star level, the Mavericks could be onto something.
But if his future stays unresolved, every other roster question becomes even more complicated.
