Mavericks must steal Thunder's cheat code to success to give Flagg what he needs

The Mavericks have one shot at building right around Cooper Flagg, and the Thunder have already proven that tanking works.

Dallas Mavericks, Cooper Flagg | Geoff Stellfox/GettyImagesThe Dallas Mavericks organization and their fan base have endured serious heartbreak and pain over the past year, and the only way to find future success is by tanking and prioritizing their spot in the lottery this summer. It's the harsh reality no franchise wants to hear, but it has proven to work for numerous teams, such as the Oklahoma City Thunder, the 2025 NBA Champions.

The Thunder learned a valuable lesson by tanking. They endured consecutive losing seasons after the departure of Russell Westbrook, but…