Mavericks keep ignoring the one move their future depends on

Dallas Mavericks, Max Christie | Jerome Miron-Imagn ImagesGood: The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers behind a 27-point, 10-assist outing from Cooper Flagg, alongside impressive performances from both Naji Marshall and P. J. Washington to end the weekend.

Bad: The Mavericks won. They're now a full game behind the New Orleans Pelicans for sixth place in the lottery standings and just one game ahead of the reeling Memphis Grizzlies in eighth.

While a regular-season win isn’t all that bad in the short term, it shines a light on the bigger picture: draft positioning. But this draft means even more for the Mavericks. Why? Because Dallas’ 2026 first-round pick is the only one the…