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The Dallas Mavericks’ future appears to be relatively bright.
In addition to Cooper Flagg showing he deserves to be the Mavericks' cornerstone (he dazzled as a first-year pro with 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game), the Mavericks hired Dusty May, who won a national title with Michigan last season, as their next head coach.
In CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn’s mind, things could get even more interesting for Dallas in 2028 if the Los Angeles Lakers continue to struggle in the Western Conference.
Specifically, Quinn thinks the Lakers’ failure to build a championship-contending roster could allow the Mavericks to pair Flagg with a six-time All-Star guard who Dallas mistreated earlier in his career.
“If the Lakers build a contender by 2028, that's the end of it. Nobody leaves a genuine Lakers contender,” Quinn wrote on X/Twitter Monday. “If the Lakers haven't built a contender by 2028, Luka is 29 and running out of time, and teaming up with Cooper Flagg is probably his best path back into contention.”
There’s no question the Mavericks failed to treat Doncic with the respect he deserved, fresh off guiding the franchise to the NBA Finals in 2024. Dallas reportedly took issue with Doncic’s troubling conditioning and diet during the 2024-25 campaign.
Instead of helping their franchise point guard address his weaknesses and move closer to reaching his full potential in a Mavericks uniform, the 2011 NBA champions made the bone-headed decision to trade him for an injury-prone contributor in Davis, whom the franchise didn’t value enough to retain for the long haul (they traded him to the Washington Wizards before this past season’s Feb. 5 deadline.
To make matters even worse, the Mavericks never alerted Doncic that they were discussing a potential trade centered on him and Davis, which is the least they could have done for a proven 27-year-old stud who was in the midst of elevating the Mavericks to new heights.
The fact that Doncic had to learn about the deal through social media, like everything else, highlights just how poorly the Mavericks handled the situation. Could the former lottery pick be interested in re-joining Dallas in two years if he grows weary of Los Angeles’ underachieving ways?
Considering Doncic's heart is likely still with the Mavericks despite the franchise’s disrespectful actions, there’s a chance both parties could find a way to put the past behind them and start fresh.
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