Mavericks urged to unite Cooper Flagg, former No. 3 pick via Kyrie Irving swap

Cooper Flagg's debut campaign with the Dallas Mavericks has gone according to plan, but the franchise should remain focused on surrounding the rookie sensation with complementary pieces that fit their new timeline.

Dallas will bring in another lottery talent from what's being touted as an incredibly deep 2026 NBA Draft class this summer. Along with their future selection, the Mavericks' front office might also be interested in taking on a few neglected developmental projects with strong upside.

In fact, Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz recently suggested that a bold offseason trade may give the Mavericks a chance to begin an exciting reclamation project with the Portland Trail Blazers' former No. 3 overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft.

"Selected at No. 3 overall in 2023 to be the heir to Damian Lillard with the Portland Trail Blazers, Scoot Henderson still has yet to earn the role of a full-time starter," Swartz wrote.

"Henderson is one of the most athletic point guards in the NBA... He'll wow you at times with thunderous dunks and is growing as a playmaker, even if his turnovers are still too high."

"Teams like the Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks could emerge as suitors if they continue to rebuild and explore trades for Ja Morant and Kyrie Irving."

Though the numbers through Scoot Henderson's first three NBA seasons are iffy, they do not tell the entire story. Missing the first 51 straight games of his third season with a torn hamstring also did not improve matters after trips to and from the G-League in his freshman and sophomore seasons.

However, he's shown flashes since returning to the Trail Blazers' lineup on Feb. 6. He's since contributed 13.2 points, 4.2 assists and 2.7 rebounds on a sub-par 48.3% effective field goal percentage in just 22.9 minutes, but the explosive guard is starting to find a rhythm. Henderson's scoring volume and efficiency have skyrocketed over his past two contests to the tune of 22.5 points on excellent 64.0/53.3/83.3 splits.

He's beginning to tap into his superhuman athleticism while knocking down his outside shots at a blistering rate, possibly giving Dallas a reason to pair him alongside Flagg.

Completing an offseason trade centered around Kyrie Irving in a Henderson swap appears ambitious at first, but the potential for a three-team deal that reroutes Irving to a contender and Henderson to Dallas could exist this offseason. Portland would have no use for another star guard with Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday already leading their backcourt room.

Even still, this concept will likely remain a hypothetical throughout the summer.

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