There was a surge of optimism surrounding the Dallas Mavericks during the offseason. After February’s disastrous Luka Doncic trade, they had won the NBA draft lottery and taken Duke University phenom Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick in June’s draft, and they had seemed to possess a deep and very intriguing roster.
But that optimism has evaporated like a puddle on a hot Texas summer day. Dallas has fallen to a 5-13 record after scoring just 96 points after losing to the Memphis Grizzlies, a team barely better than it, and it is clear that something big needs to be done.
Flagg is showing occasional signs that he could become a special player, but much of the rest of the roster has problems, and much attention is being focused on Anthony Davis, the All-Star big man the team got back for Doncic. The Mavericks are now reportedly open to flipping Davis, who has been out for nearly a month with a calf strain.
Read more: Clippers Linked to Blockbuster Trade for $203 Million Superstar
Davis will turn 33 years of age in March, and his numbers so far this season are well below par for him. James Herbert of CBS Sports opined that if the Mavs want to trade Davis, they should also trade their other best chip on the open market: Kyrie Irving.
“On the court, a healthy Irving could certainly help Flagg,” Herbert wrote. “The Mavericks have been the worst offensive team in the NBA and they are desperate for more playmaking. In the bigger picture, though, if they’ve pivoted to building around Flagg, who doesn’t turn 19 for another month, it’s hard to understand why Irving would be off-limits in trade discussions.
“Dallas is ‘not encouraging trade inquiries’ for Irving, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, who noted that the nine-time All-Star is ‘already vibing nicely’ with Flagg in practice. He also noted, however, that, after the 2026 Draft, the Mavs won’t control their own draft pick until 2031. You do not need an advanced understanding of NBA team-building to see the simplest path forward: Trade veterans for picks and prospects, bottom out this season, then build something new around Flagg and the player they pick next June.”
Irving has been out of action since early March due to a torn ACL, and there’s no real timetable for his return yet. While he will turn 34 years of age in March, he still could have plenty of game left in his body — assuming his ACL injury doesn’t rob him of his natural ability.
But as is the case with Davis, Irving’s timeline doesn’t match that of several other key players on the team, including Flagg and big men Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II. This may be the best time for the Mavs to cash out on him and Davis, stockpile as many assets and draft picks as possible, a la the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, and build around Flagg and their other young players.
Dallas’ frustrated fan base, which has had to deal with not only losing Doncic but also Micah Parsons, the superstar pass rusher whom the Dallas Cowboys shipped to the Green Bay Packers just prior to the start of this NFL season, may go haywire once again if management trades both Davis and Irving. After all, it would mean having to withstand some miserable seasons before things turn around.
Read more: Warriors’ Draymond Green Breaks Silence on Heated Victor Wembanyama Exchange
One dilemma sports teams face at times is whether to remain respectable enough to make the playoffs, bring fans to games and pay the bills or take their lumps by blowing things up and enduring some rough years in order to have a shot at winning a world championship in the future. When maintaining the status quo won’t result in anything more than an occasional playoff series victory, the only choice if a championship is desired is to hit the blinking red button.
The Mavericks already did so on that fateful night back in February. If they are to bring home their second Larry O’Brien Trophy sooner rather than later, they will need to complete that process first and do so in the coming months.
For more on the Mavericks and general NBA news, head over to Newsweek Sports.