During June's NBA Draft, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith was quite vocal about his belief that the Dallas Mavericks should be considered the "number one threat" to the OKC Thunder during the upcoming 2025-26 campaign.
From their recent success in head-to-head bouts that has the Mavs boasting an 8-6 record since 2023-24 (including both regular season and playoffs) to the high-end impact that a player like top-pick Cooper Flagg is projected to provide to the team right from the jump in his rookie year, the polarizing sports personality laid out myriad arguments to try and back up his claim.