To say the 2024-25 Mavericks season was dramatic would be underselling it.
The franchise traded superstar Luka Doncic, missed the playoffs, then miraculously landed the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, which was used to draft its next potential superstar — former Duke freshman Cooper Flagg.
At the top of the list of questions about the Mavericks is when Kyrie Irving will return and whether they’ll be in a position to use his help to make a postseason run.
Our Dallas Morning News experts — beat writers Mike Curtis and Brad Townsend and columnists Tim Cowlishaw and Kevin Sherrington — offer their Mavericks predictions for the 2025-26 season:
Mavericks
Where will the Mavericks finish in the Western Conference?
Curtis: I have the Mavericks finishing sixth in the West. That could be a bit ambitious considering the conference’s depth. Their success depends on Anthony Davis establishing himself as the two-way force he’s proved capable of during his career. They also need to be one of the NBA’s best defensive teams, of which the preseason offered a glimpse.
Most of the teams that made the playoffs last season should be in the mix to do so again, but the Mavericks will need to hover around .500 to have a chance at avoiding the Play-In Tournament.
Cowlishaw: The West looms tougher than ever, especially with key players missing from Eastern Conference powers (Jayson Tatum in Boston, Tyrese Halliburton in Indiana). As a result, the Mavericks win 45 games but finish seventh in the more powerful conference.
Sherrington: Third in the Western Conference. Everything hinges on health with the Mavs. If Anthony Davis remains upright, he can carry the offense until Kyrie Irving returns. Question is, what will Kyrie be like? Defense inside will have to be the calling card.
Townsend: Most betting services have Dallas’ over-under victory total between 40 and 42 wins. I’m slightly more bullish and have the Mavericks finishing 45-38.
Why? The signing of D’Angelo Russell has been underrated. Dallas easily has the NBA’s deepest frontcourt. Although some of the Mavericks’ pieces seem ill-fitting, there’s enough depth to keep the team afloat until Kyrie Irving’s return from ACL surgery.
Will the Mavericks make the playoffs, and if so, how far will they go?
Curtis: The Mavericks will make the playoffs this season, but anything more than that depends on Kyrie Irving’s health. They’ll have their best shot of dethroning the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder if Irving returns in enough time to build chemistry ahead of the postseason. I can’t see them missing the playoffs for a second consecutive year.
Cowlishaw: Finishing 7th, Dallas is forced into the play-in round, but they win a home game to face the second seed. The Mavericks lose to Houston in the first round.
Sherrington: If Davis and Irving and the centers are healthy in the playoffs, they’re good for the conference finals. Oklahoma City is the class of the conference, but the Mavs’ physicality could affect the Thunder’s execution.
Townsend: I have the Mavericks finishing seventh or eighth in the West, which of course would put them in the dreaded play-in tournament territory.
If they somehow can move up to fifth or sixth, the mid- to late-season addition of Irving would give them a good chance to win a playoff series. But finishing seventh or eighth likely would mean a first-round series against OKC, Golden State or Denver and a likely short postseason.
Will Cooper Flagg win Rookie of the Year, and why or why not?
Curtis: Yes. Flagg will win the Rookie of the Year award because he’ll have plenty of opportunities to be Dallas’ second or third option, especially while Irving is sidelined. He stuffs the statsheet on a nightly basis, and what he does defensively should give him the edge over San Antonio’s Dylan Harper or Philadelphia’s VJ Edgecombe.
Cowlishaw: Flagg’s stats come up far short of a first-year Luka performance, averaging 16 points and 6 rebounds and 4 assists, but he’s steady and strong enough to hold off Washington’s Tre Johnson (Lake Highlands) and win Rookie of the Year.
Sherrington: Ace Bailey may score more points, but Flagg will get the ROY vote because he’s already the focus of national attention; he’ll start on a championship-caliber team; he’ll play great defense; and it’ll be easy for him to average the 16 points to make him a lock.
Townsend: Yes. With apologies to Dylan Harper, the Spurs won’t stretch their run of consecutive ROY winners to three. And apologies to another Spur, Victor Wembanyama, but even at an opening-night age of 18, Flagg is the NBA’s most complete rookie since LeBron James in the 2003-2004 season.
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