The Mavericks have reset their roster around a single transformative talent four times since 1980, and Cooper Flagg's arrival after lottery odds under two percent is the newest version of that pattern. Camp opens with Dallas still at 0-0, carrying last season's -5.2 net rating and a defensive promise the numbers haven't matched yet.
Betting The Franchise On One Player
This pattern goes back to the start. Dallas entered the league in 1980-81 as an expansion team, beat the San Antonio Spurs 103-92 in its first game under coach Dick Motta, then finished 15-67. The rebuild came through the draft and a trade: Mark Aguirre in the 1981 draft, then Dirk Nowitzki's acquisition in 1998, each turning a losing roster into a contender that reached the 2006 Finals and won the 2011 championship. Luka Doncic was the next version of that bet, leading Dallas to a third Finals in 2024 before the team traded him to the Lakers for Anthony Davis in February 2025. Cooper Flagg, taken first overall in 2025 after Dallas won the lottery with odds under two percent, is the newest face of that same strategy, and he led the roster with 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists a game last season.
The Defense Promise Still Unproven
General manager Nico Harrison justified the Doncic trade by saying, "I believe that defense wins championships." Last season's numbers didn't back that up: Dallas finished 26-56 with a 115.5 defensive rating and a -5.2 net rating, ranking 19th on defense and 27th on offense leaguewide. Camp under Dusty May is the first real test of whether that defensive promise shows up in the standings rather than just in a press conference.
An Opener That Echoes An Old Rival
Dallas's playoff scars run through Texas: a seven-game first-round loss to the Spurs in 2014 and a five-game exit against the Rockets in 2015 are still the franchise's sharpest measuring sticks. This season loops back to one of them directly — Dallas opens the regular season October 21 at Houston, after two preseason meetings with the Rockets on October 9 and 11. The Mavericks sit at 0-0 entering that stretch, with last season's 26-56 finish the only recent form book available.
Is Cooper Flagg the first No. 1 pick Dallas has rebuilt around?
No. Dallas built around Mark Aguirre after the 1981 draft and around Dirk Nowitzki after acquiring him in 1998, then around Luka Doncic before trading him in 2025; Flagg, picked No. 1 in 2025, is the latest version of that pattern.
What was Nico Harrison's stated reason for trading Luka Doncic?
Harrison said, "I believe that defense wins championships," explaining the February 2025 trade that brought Anthony Davis to Dallas.
More from The Big D Breakdown
all Mavericks news →
By the numbers · Fri, Oct 2By The Numbers: The Gap Between Dallas's Cap Sheet And Its Record
Morning · Fri, Oct 2The Big D Breakdown: Cisse's Guarantee Lands With Four Mavs Eyeing Oct. 9
Rumor check · Thu, Oct 1The Big D Breakdown: Grading Mavericks Rumors Against The Cap Sheet
Around the beat · Thu, Oct 1The Big D Breakdown: Beat Writers Split On Lively, Martin, Irving
Morning · Thu, Oct 1The Big D Breakdown: Johnson's Return Window Hits The Preseason Opener
The big question · Wed, Sep 30The Big D Breakdown: Payroll Says Win Now, Record Says Not Yet