The Dallas Mavericks are entering a new era - one that revolves around Cooper Flagg, the young phenom the franchise is clearly positioning as its future cornerstone. It’s a familiar situation for Mavs fans, who’ve seen the franchise build around generational talents before, from Dirk Nowitzki to Luka Dončić.
But with Flagg, the team is threading a different kind of needle: balancing long-term development with a win-now mentality. And if there’s one name that keeps coming up as a potential fit alongside Flagg, it’s Anthony Black.
A DFW native with roots at both Coppell and Duncanville High School, Black is quietly putting together a breakout season in Orlando. He’s stepped into a starting role with the Magic and is averaging 15.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game - all while shooting a respectable 46.7% from the field, 35.8% from three, and 72.8% from the line. Those numbers don’t just suggest improvement - they hint at a player on the verge of something bigger.
At 6-foot-7, Black brings a unique blend of size, skill, and defensive versatility to the backcourt. His dribble package is already polished for his age, and the development of his outside shot has added a new layer to his game.
That shooting growth has been key - it’s what’s allowed him to become more than just a secondary ball handler. With his vision, feel for the game, and ability to defend multiple positions, Black is starting to look like someone who could eventually run an offense full-time.
That’s where the Mavericks come in.
Dallas is still figuring out how to build around Flagg, but the blueprint is starting to take shape. They’ll need someone who can take pressure off Flagg as a creator, defend at a high level, and grow alongside him on a similar timeline.
Black checks all those boxes. He’s only 22, and his upside is still very much untapped.
His size and defensive instincts would make him an ideal backcourt partner for Flagg, especially as the Mavericks look to build a two-way identity around their rising star.
There’s also the local connection. Black is a known name in the Dallas basketball scene, and a return home could offer him a bigger role than what he might be limited to in Orlando - especially with the Magic’s roster getting more expensive.
Paolo Banchero’s extension kicks in next season, and with Orlando creeping toward the second tax apron, tough decisions are coming. If Black continues on his current trajectory, he could price himself out of the Magic’s long-term plans.
That’s not to say this is a done deal - far from it. Black becomes extension-eligible in the summer of 2026, and Orlando will certainly try to keep him in the fold. But if he does hit restricted free agency in 2027, Dallas could be in a position to make a compelling pitch - both financially and from a basketball standpoint.
Kyrie Irving, for all his offensive brilliance, isn’t a long-term fixture in Dallas. Whether he’s around next season or not, the Mavericks will need to think about who’s next in line to run the show.
Black has the tools to grow into that role. He doesn’t need to dominate the ball, but he can create, defend, and complement a high-usage forward like Flagg in ways that would give Dallas a lot of flexibility in how they build out their roster.
The Mavericks are betting big on Flagg. That much is clear.
But if they want to maximize his potential, surrounding him with the right pieces will be just as important. Anthony Black - a local product with rising star potential and a skill set tailor-made for modern NBA basketball - could be one of those pieces.
Keep an eye on this one.