The Dallas Mavericks enter the 2025-26 season in interesting territory. They missed the playoffs in 2024-25 after making it to the NBA Finals the previous season before that.
Dallas traded away Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers at the NBA trade deadline and fans were outraged. Despite all of that, the Mavericks lucked into Cooper Flagg. Flagg is going to play a big role in this offense this season. Will this team be contenders in the Western Conference or are they going to be pretenders?
Dallas Mavericks Could Be Contenders in the West Depending on Health
Shaun Powell of NBA.com wrote about where each NBA team stands before the start of the 2025-26 NBA season. The Mavericks are one of the more polarizing teams in the west. They have the talent to be a contender this season, but injuries have a chance to derail this team once again. Powell said,
“It’s far too premature to shout “Luka Who?” Yes, the scab from the controversial trade is still fleshy, sore and, in the minds of some fans, permanent. In a best-case scenario regarding this team’s biggest question marks — Kyrie Irving’s healthy return and No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg’s ability to impact right away — Dallas will be a factor in the West. Oh, one more concern: Anthony Davis and his chances of enjoying a limp-free season. That’s a lot of shrugs regarding the Mavericks here in their first full season without Dončić. Maybe one too many?”
Irving is not going to be ready for the start of the year because he is still recovering from a torn ACL. Davis may also not be ready for the season because he underwent eye surgery in the offseason. If that were to be the case, D’Angelo Russell and P.J. Washington will most likely be inserted into the starting lineup by head coach Jason Kidd.
They are both nice depth pieces to have on this roster. Having Irving and Davis back at some point will make this Mavericks team deeper. Without those two players, this team is a fringe playoff team. Flagg is going to have to carry the load at the start of the season without them. However, when they do get both of them back, they will be contenders in the west.
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