The Mavericks already tried the big-lineup experiment, and it didn’t last.
Dallas opened the 2025-26 season with Anthony Davis at power forward and Dereck Lively II at center, putting Nico Harrison’s old idea on the floor: load up on size, own the glass, protect the rim, and live with the tradeoffs in shooting and playmaking. The frontcourt was built around two non-shooting big men over 6-foot-10, with Cooper Flagg and P.J.
Washington also in the starting five. On paper, it looked like a bold plan.
In practice, it unraveled fast.
The problem was simple. The Mavericks didn’t have enough shooting or offensive versatility to survive in a deep Western Conference, and Davis - the player Harrison had traded Luka Doncic for less than a year earlier - was dealt at the deadline.
Now the conversation could circle right back.
Dusty May is entering his first season as Dallas’ head coach, and while the most straightforward starting group appears to be Kyrie Irving, Max Christie, Flagg, Washington, and Lively II, there’s also a path to something much bigger. Irving would change the entire shape of that lineup with his shot creation and on-ball gravity, and on paper it makes sense.
But May has shown he’s comfortable leaning into size. During his time at Michigan, he regularly used oversized groups, including last season’s most effective starting five on the way to a national championship. That lineup featured 6-foot-9 Yaxel Lendeborg at small forward, 6-foot-9 Morez Johnson Jr. at power forward, and 7-foot-3 Aday Mara at center.
That background matters because Dallas has the bodies to do something similar.
May also has a familiar name from that Michigan group in Morez Johnson Jr., whom the Mavericks selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. If May wants to prioritize Johnson Jr.’s development as a rookie, starting him right away is on the table. In that setup, either Lively II or Daniel Gafford would likely man the middle, creating exactly the kind of double-big arrangement Dallas has already tried before.
There’s even another route if May wants to push the size angle further. He could pair Johnson Jr. with 7-foot stretch big man Santi Aldama, along with Gafford or Lively II, and give the Mavericks a front line that looks awfully familiar to the kind of lineup fans were skeptical about just a year ago.
In Other News...
Dereck Lively Stands Between The Mavs And A Scary Young Frontcourt
The Mavericks have reason to feel better about their long-term frontcourt picture after watching young talent start to stack up around Cooper Flagg and Morez Johnson Jr. If those two continue to develop as expected, the idea of a big, athletic, modern trio starts to look less like a theory and more like a foundation. Dereck Lively II is the piece that could make it click, giving Dallas the rim protection, vertical spacing and defensive anchor that can let the others play off him.
Livelys value is obvious, but so is the uncertainty that comes with counting on him to stay on the floor. His health will shape how the Mavericks map out the next phase of the roster, especially with the teams direction still subject to change and Kyrie Irvings future part of that larger conversation. Dallas can imagine a frontcourt built around youth and size, but the path from promising idea to dependable core runs straight through Livelys availability. [Read more 🡒]
Kyrie Irvings Return Could Change Everything For Cooper Flagg
The Mavericks enter a very different stretch than the one Cooper Flagg experienced in his rookie season, with Masai Ujiri taking over as general manager and Dusty May now on the bench. Flagg already showed he can handle the spotlight, but the roster around him is shifting in ways that could make his second year look much different, especially with Kyrie Irving set to rejoin the mix after his injury absence and Zaccharie Risacher also being evaluated as part of the bigger picture.
Irving's return matters because Dallas is no longer trying to build around a lone young centerpiece. Flagg had to navigate his first season without that kind of veteran backcourt partner, and the Mavericks now believe Irving's presence can help ease some of the pressure on their rookie star while giving the offense another layer of creativity. The real question is how quickly the fit takes shape and whether the new-look roster can turn all that promise into something more than just a talented collection of moving parts. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Could Make A Crucial Hire After Last Season's Medical Shakeup
The Mavericks spent last season dealing with a medical setup that came under the microscope, so it makes sense they are looking hard at the people behind the scenes now. One name to watch is Nico Berg, who has emerged as a candidate for the teams head of medical operations job as Dallas evaluates how it wants to rebuild that side of the operation.
Berg is not a longtime NBA fixture, which adds some intrigue to the process. His only prior consulting work in the league came with Minnesota more than a decade ago, so the Mavericks would be betting on a relatively fresh outside voice to help shape an area that can have as much impact on a season as any move on the roster. [Read more 🡒]