The Cooper Flagg Problem in Dallas — And How I’d Fix It as a Former Mavs Analyst
Cooper Flagg isn’t on the same timeline as AD and Kyrie — 7 ways the Mavs can respond, including big trades
When Dallas GM Nico Harrison traded away Luka Dončić, he also traded the Mavericks’ future for — he hoped — a brighter but undoubtedly narrower title window.
The Mavs were being built around Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, two stars about to turn 32 and 33, respectively. Furthermore, AD and Kyrie are hardly the most durable players around, a fact that was reinforced after the trade when AD aggravated a groin injury — missing six weeks — and Irving suffered a torn left ACL. Dallas subsequently missed the playoffs and landed in the NBA lottery.
But when lottery luck struck the Mavs, giving them the right to select 18-year old Cooper Flagg, the franchise suddenly had a new, exciting, and much longer timeline to consider.
That timeline doesn’t match the one Nico created, however. No matter how exciting a prospect Flagg is, he faces the NBA reality that very few draft picks are positive contributors right away. For instance, Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen (a Flagg comp) didn’t turn the corner until age 25, in his fourth NBA season.
So the Mavericks are probably not on track to compete for an NBA title with AD and Kyrie, even with Flagg coming aboard.
This presents a problem, but also an opportunity. How should the Mavs proceed?
Here are seven potential paths, including my trade ideas and recommendations:
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