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21 hours ago
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The Dallas Mavericks appear committed to building around Cooper Flagg after his stellar rookie season, and it’s safe to say they’re making the right move.
The Duke product looked every bit like a generational young star in Year 1, showcasing his fluidity in the open floor, awe-inspiring jab-and-go tactic out of the triple threat, pick-and-roll instincts, and switchable defense for 70 games (he averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals).
CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn believes that pairing Flagg with an infamous San Antonio Spurs veteran guard could be a move that pays dividends for the Mavericks in the long run.
“Dallas already has Kyrie Irving,” Quinn wrote last Sunday. “He's 34 and coming off a torn ACL. If they'd rather put a younger, expensive guard next to the 19-year-old Cooper Flagg, Fox is an option here.”
“If Irving is willing to come off the bench? Great. He'd be a spectacular fit on a shorter contract that expires before (Stefon) Castle and (Dylan) Harper get paid. In the more likely event that he wants to start, this could be a three-way deal in which the team acquiring Irving sends assets to San Antonio.”
Fox’s NBA career took a turn for the worse in the NBA Finals, as his inability to make a high-IQ decision at the end of Game 4 and be an impactful offensive contributor down the stretch of Game 5 not only helped the New York Knicks break a 53-year championship drought but also opened the door for extreme scrutiny.
The Spurs are reportedly interested in cutting ties with the two-time All-Star, but his $229 maximum contract will make it challenging for San Antonio to center a trade around him.
Still, it doesn’t mean the five-time NBA champions won’t make a valiant effort to do so, and perhaps taking his talents to a rebuilding franchise not expected to compete for titles in the immediate future will benefit Fox going forward.
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