Despite getting back on track after a disastrous start to the season, the Dallas Mavericks are still at risk. They could very well still make the playoffs this season, which actually would be a bad thing given their unique situation.
They only own one of their first-round picks between now and 2031. As a result, they have the incentive to tank, but according to The Athletic, they are instead looking to compete this season.
Even after firing GM Nico Harrison and rumors swirling around the availability of star Anthony Davis, the Mavs seem dead set on making the playoffs this season. That potentially means they keep Davis, which means taking their top trade asset off the trade block. Is Harrison still working behind the scenes or something?
While it would be nice to have the number one overall pick, Cooper Flagg, get playoff experience, that could come at the detriment of the team’s future.
The sort of thing that feels really good in the moment and not so good in 2029 when you’re going into San Antonio for Game 1 of a playoff series against a Spurs team with three or four All-Stars severely outgunned. https://t.co/zHWv5brJir
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) December 15, 2025
This year’s draft is stacked at the top, with the top three prospects each having All-Star potential.
The Dallas Mavericks may be shooting themselves in the foot
Instead of angling to make the playoffs, the Mavericks are instead angling to finish with one of the five worst records in the NBA this season. That would give them a decent chance at a top three pick and a chance to pair Flagg with a star such as AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, or Cam Boozer.
They headline the 2026 NBA Draft, and they should each be on the Mavericks’ collective vision board. Instead, they are chasing the 10th seed in the Western Conference and a chance to make it into the playoffs.
Even so, were they even to make the playoffs, they would still likely be running into a buzz saw in the first round against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Yes, that would technically still mean that they made the playoffs, but would four straight blowouts really be better than a future star to pair with Flagg? Nah, no way.
The Dallas Mavericks must quickly change course
The 2026 NBA Draft gives the Mavs their only real chance to build through the draft. Their in-state rivals, the San Antonio Spurs, were able to build around Victor Wembanyama by using the draft to select Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper.
They also used their stockpile of picks to trade for De’Aaron Fox. The Mavs won’t be able to do anything remotely similar with their current strategy.
Instead, they will have to rely solely on trades without the benefit of first-round picks to move. That makes the prospect of building around Flagg much harder long-term and is a sign that the Mavericks have no idea what they are doing.
