Heading into the 2025-26 season, the Dallas Mavericks are missing elite continuity, and this may be what prevents them from making an NBA Finals push during Cooper Flagg’s rookie year.
The Finals in Flagg’s rookie year always seemed like a long shot, as Kyrie Irving is set to miss part of the year with a torn ACL, and relying upon an 18-year-old rookie wing to help push Dallas over the top may have been a loftier goal than Mavericks fans realized. Still, Nico Harrison wants to win a title as soon as possible, and Dallas is in win-now mode following one of the most disappointing seasons in team history.