The Dallas Mavericks have been predicted to have a better record next season than last season by NBA analyst Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report. Dallas went just 26-56 last season. Kyrie Irving didn’t play, as he was recovering from his left ACL tear, and Anthony Davis appeared in only 20 games before getting traded to the Washington Wizards.
What happened?
With Irving set to play alongside Cooper Flagg next season, Swartz believes the Mavericks “should be significantly better” in Year 1 of the Dusty May era. The Mavericks added nine new players to the roster this offseason. They acquired Santi Aldama from the Memphis Grizzlies, Zaccharie Risacher from the Atlanta Hawks and Marcus Sasser from the Detroit Pistons, got Morez Johnson Jr., Sergio de Larrea, Tobi Lawal and Vsevolod Ishchenko in the 2026 draft and signed Jett Howard and Tarik Biberovic in free agency.
Why it matters for Dallas Mavericks
Dallas also signed Naji Marshall to an extension and re-signed Moussa Cisse, and as of this writing, veterans Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, Max Christie, and Dereck Lively II are still on the team. While nothing is written in stone, May is widely expected to start Irving, Christie, Flagg, Washington and Lively II next season. Their last result was a 149-128 win against the Chicago Bulls on 2026-04-13. Their recent form has been 1W-0D-4L, with the most recent game being a loss.
What comes next?
Several contenders are interested in trading for Irving, but the Mavericks have made it known to interested teams that they want to keep Irving next to Flagg, sources told Dallas Sports Journal. Irving and Flagg have a strong relationship, sources said. Flagg received consistent, valuable mentorship from Irving last season even though Kyrie didn’t play, sources said. Irving will make $39.5 million next season. The Mavericks acquired the future Hall of Famer from the Brooklyn Nets during the 2022-23 season. The 2011-12 Rookie of the Year, Irving enters next season with career averages of 23.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game in the regular season and 23.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game in the playoffs. The 2016 NBA champion averaged 24.7 points and 4.6 assists per game during the 2024-25 season before tearing his ACL. The Mavericks missed the playoffs in 2025 and 2026. However, they appear to have a bright future with Flagg leading the way. The Duke product won the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year award. He finished the season averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. And with Irving back, the Mavericks are looking to make a push for the playoffs next season. But for now, they are focusing on the upcoming season and making sure they are ready to go. So, the Mavericks will look to build on their recent win and make a strong start to the new season.
