The Dallas Mavericks had one of the loudest starts to the NBA offseason among any team in the NBA. It began with a stroke of lottery luck, landing the No. 1 overall pick and selecting Cooper Flagg, a franchise-changing prospect who honestly gives Dallas its first true two-way wing star since prime Michael Finley or Josh Howard. But while the Flagg era is underway, the Mavericks have signed D'Angelo Russell, making another headline move that’s drawn some skepticism.
During their point guard search in free agency, Dallas had Russell ahead of Chris Paul on their free agent board, viewing him not just as a stopgap while Kyrie Irving recovers from his ACL tear, but as someone who has gelled next to Anthony Davis in the past.