The 2025-26 NBA season is here! We’re rolling out our previews — examining the biggest questions, best- and worst-case scenarios, and win projections for all 30 franchises — from the still-rebuilding teams to the true title contenders.
2024-25 finish
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Record: 39-43 (lost to the Grizzlies in the play-in tournament)
Offseason moves
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Additions: Cooper Flagg, D’Angelo Russell
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Subtractions: Spencer Dinwiddie
Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, is the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year. (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports Illustration)
The Big Question: How legit is Cooper Flagg?
Cooper Flagg, the kid from Maine who earned his pedigree as a Montverde and Duke product, was the prize for a wild season in Dallas. Midway through the defense of their 2024 Western Conference crown, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison traded 25-year-old superstar Luka Dončić under the cover of night, robbing the city of one of the game’s most talented players. The people of Dallas were pissed.
In return the Mavericks scored Anthony Davis, the oft-injured 32-year-old big man, from the Los Angeles Lakers. His arrival was met with a torn ACL in Kyrie Irving’s left knee, which contributed to the team’s failure to emerge from the play-in tournament. Into the lottery they went, and out of it they emerged with the No. 1 overall pick. Harrison acted as if this was all part of the plan and not just some dumb luck.
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Either way, the past few months have raised an interesting question: Knowing what they lucked into, would the Mavericks still trade Dončić for Davis and Flagg? Depends on Flagg’s legitimacy as a prospect.
Flagg is a 6-foot-9 forward who can do it all, including initiate the offense. He is a winner, and that is not lip service. He plays in a way that elevates everyone around him, much like many of the all-time greats. Which is why we envision him as a future star. Dallas would at least like to see signs of it this season.
This all made the signing of D’Angelo Russell as Irving’s replacement a curious decision. One would think, in trying to piece a team around Flagg, the Mavericks would want to surround a winning player with like-minded teammates, but Russell has never been an additive contributor on a team with serious title odds.
That’s the thing: The Mavericks envision themselves as somewhat of a contender, so long as Irving can return this season, if only because Harrison has positioned them that way. Upon trading for Davis, he reiterated often that, “Defense wins championships,” and Davis was there to serve them in that regard.
The Mavericks have Davis, Irving and Klay Thompson, veterans who have won championships. That will be their goal. There is also Dereck Lively II, P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford and a handful of members of the team that reached the 2024 NBA Finals. They, too, should fancy themselves as could-be title contenders.
But let’s be real. There is no timetable for Irving’s return, and even if he does return this season there is no guarantee that he will be the player he was. Even when healthy the Mavs are not considered among the West’s elite. That would require a monster (healthy) season from Davis, a step toward superstardom from Flagg and other contributions throughout the roster. All of that would be ideal. It is also a lot to ask.
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If, however, this goal of winning a championship in the near future conflicts with Flagg’s development, what then does Dallas do? It might be time to deal Davis. They are operating on two timelines here, and that rarely yields dividends. Everything for the Mavs should now be about ensuring Flagg becomes a superstar, and then building a championship team around him. Harrison seems to be doing the opposite, hoping Flagg can catch up to speed before it’s too late for Davis and Irving to still be competing for titles.
Regardless, Flagg better be legit, or the Mavericks may never live down the Dončić trade.
Best-case scenario
Flagg is a franchise savior, prepared to declare himself among the league’s elite. We know Davis is great. He just has to stay healthy. Irving returns at some point midseason and plays himself into fighting shape. Thompson is still a contributor. Lively furthers his development and establishes himself among the league’s best rim-protecting and rim-running big men. And the Mavericks are a real threat in the West, capable of beating anybody in a seven-game series. Whether they can do it four times is another matter.
If everything falls apart
Davis cannot stay healthy, and Irving never returns. The Mavs lose faith in their ability to compete in a loaded Western Conference, only Russell believes otherwise. A malaise in Dallas hinders Flagg’s progress. And we emerge from this season unsure of both Flagg’s ceiling and the direction of these Mavericks. Big moves are on the horizon, and Harrison is at the helm. At least they own their first-round pick in 2026.
2025-26 schedule
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Season opener: Oct. 22 vs. San Antonio
Too much has to go right for Dallas to compete in the West. Give the keys to Flagg, manage his growing pains and accept the under. Embrace the younger of Dallas’ two timelines, even if it means moving Davis.
More season previews
East: Atlanta Hawks • Boston Celtics • Brooklyn Nets • Charlotte Hornets • Chicago Bulls • Cleveland Cavaliers • Detroit Pistons • Indiana Pacers • Miami Heat • Milwaukee Bucks • New York Knicks • Orlando Magic • Philadelphia 76ers • Toronto Raptors • Washington Wizards
West: Dallas Mavericks • Denver Nuggets • Golden State Warriors • Houston Rockets • Los Angeles Clippers • Los Angeles Lakers • Memphis Grizzlies • Minnesota Timberwolves • New Orleans Pelicans • Oklahoma City Thunder • Phoenix Suns • Portland Trail Blazers • Sacramento Kings • San Antonio Spurs • Utah Jazz
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