Cooper Flagg’s second NBA season is off to a fast start, and the Mavericks’ new-look setup is already making its presence felt around him.
Flagg, who won Rookie of the Year in his first season while Dallas stumbled to a 26-56 finish, said the organization’s offseason overhaul has aligned more closely with what matters most to him. The 19-year-old forward pointed to a shift in tone under the new regime.
“They’ve tried to change the culture around and [are] worried about one thing,” Flagg said. “That’s winning.
That’s all we are worried about. Doing whatever we can to win, compete.
Every single possession. Every single practice.
Just thinking about winning and competing over everything else.”
He’s backed that up on the floor. Through four games, Flagg is averaging 25.3 points, 6.8 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.3 blocks in 30.8 minutes per game. Dallas has gone 3-1 with him available and sits at 3-2 overall, with Flagg missing Saturday’s home loss to San Antonio because of a shoulder injury.
Flagg also seemed especially comfortable after Wednesday’s win over a Thunder team that came in undefeated at 4-0. He credited Kyrie Irving’s offensive gravity for helping the Mavericks find their footing, and he singled out Zaccharie Risacher’s impact on the other end after the team exercised Risacher’s fourth-year option.
“I think we are 15 to 20 points better with him just doing the little things,” Flagg said of Risacher. “The shots will fall.
All that, I don’t even care about it. When he just goes out there and competes at the highest level how he can, he makes us so much better with his versatility all over the court.
He’s been huge for us.”
Irving, meanwhile, is finding meaning in this stage of his career alongside Flagg, who is 15 years younger. Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com reported that the age gap has fed speculation about whether Irving could end up on the trade market, but Irving continues to sound committed to the Mavericks despite the turbulence the franchise has gone through in recent years.
“I wish it was under my control, but I think it’s a collaborative effort here,” Irving said when asked if he wants to finish his career in Dallas. “I’m mature enough to understand that.
… You see that there’s a disparity in age [between Flagg and me]. Everybody likes to make a big deal out of it.
… Every fair criticism that [has been] brought to this franchise is fair. I’m never going to shy away from that, either.
But my focus is just continuing to develop, continuing to put my best foot forward with these guys. When we’re out there on the court, just have fun.
When we say have fun, we’re trying to compete at the highest level. We’re trying to win.”
MacMahon also reported that if Dallas did decide to listen on Irving, there would be a “robust” market for him. New president Masai Ujiri has publicly backed the nine-time All-Star, saying, “We truly believe in [Irving],” and adding, “We truly believe that he can succeed on our team.
I truly believe that if we have the right players playing, we can really grow as a team in a new system with [head coach] Dusty [May] and a new culture we’re trying to build. I truly believe that.”
May has also praised Irving’s approach behind the scenes. He recently called Irving’s work ethic “meticulous” and pointed to his willingness to help younger teammates, including a moment with Morez Johnson Jr. in which Irving encouraged the rookie big man after a mistake instead of chewing him out.
Caleb Martin, who missed the first four games with a right thumb sprain, made his 2026/27 debut on Wednesday and contributed 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting and two rebounds in 14 minutes. May said Martin’s return could matter a lot if Dallas keeps stacking wins.
“He got injured and sometimes when you’ve been in a little bit of a shooting funk [like] he had been in, you tape that thing up and it causes you not to think about things and just play more freely,” May said. “He lost a little bit of confidence in shooting, [but] other than that, he’s always performed well when he wasn’t trying to do too much.
He deserves this. If we’re winning games this year, he’ll have a big part of that.
He’s got a real presence in our locker room. He’s got respect within our team.
Man, what a great guy to coach.”
In Other News...
Mavericks Just Got A Kyrie Twist That Changes This Cooper Flagg Debate
The Mavericks long-running question about how to balance the present and the future may be getting a new layer. Dallas is being linked to possible Kyrie Irving trade discussions as the front office weighs what it wants the roster to look like around Cooper Flagg, the young centerpiece who could shape the next era. Irving remains one of the biggest names on the team, so any conversation about moving him changes the tone of that debate immediately.
Now there is another wrinkle to follow, with Miami emerging as a team worth watching in this picture. Both sides appear to be monitoring the situation, and there is no imminent decision or trade on the board yet, but the possibility of a move gives Dallas a very different set of options as it thinks through the Flagg timeline. For a team trying to define its next identity, Irvings situation suddenly feels like one of the most important moving parts. [Read more 🡒]
Zaccharie Risacher Is Giving The Mavericks Something They Suddenly Need
Zaccharie Risacher has quickly started looking like more than just a useful depth piece for Dallas. Early in the season, he has given the Mavericks a real jolt on the defensive end, and his energy has stood out enough that teammates and coaches have taken notice. For a team that has needed more reliable two-way help off the bench, that kind of activity has become a welcome development.
Risacher has also looked more comfortable on the offensive end, especially when spotting up and letting his catch-and-shoot chances come to him. That progress matters because it gives Dallas a cleaner path to keeping him on the floor, not just as a hustle player but as someone who can fit into the rotation without hesitation. The bigger question now is how far that growth can go, and how the Mavericks choose to lean into it as they sort out their bench going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Dwight Powells Next Move Will Hit Mavericks Fans Hard
Dwight Powell is moving toward the next chapter of a career that was defined for so long by one jersey. After being waived by the Mavericks before the regular season, the veteran big man is now linked to Fenerbahce, a powerhouse club in Istanbul with a roster that includes several former NBA players. For Dallas fans, it is the kind of update that lands with a little extra weight because Powell spent nearly his entire 12-year NBA career in a Mavericks uniform.
The move also points Powell toward a new stage of basketball he has not yet experienced. Fenerbahce gives him a chance to stay in a top-tier setting overseas, and the transition would place him in one of the most respected leagues in the world. It is a notable turn for a player who became such a familiar part of the Mavericks identity, even if the full shape of his next stop is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]