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oct 03 2026Few franchises have changed as much in a year as the Mavericks. Twelve months ago they started with Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, and the open wound of Luka Dončić's trade. Today they have a new president, new coach, and a project built entirely around Cooper Flagg. For Spanish fans, Dallas becomes the team to watch this season: Santi Aldama and Sergio de Larrea will share a locker room at the American Airlines Center.
Where They Come From: 26 Wins and a Rookie of the Year
The 2025-26 season was a collective disaster with one major individual bright spot. Without Kyrie Irving, who missed the entire season with an ACL tear, and with Davis injured for much of the year, the Mavericks finished 26-56, twelfth in the West.
Flagg held the team together. The No. 1 overall pick averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 70 games, all as a starter, and won Rookie of the Year. He's the second-youngest to achieve it, behind only LeBron James, and the third rookie in the last 45 years to exceed 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists, alongside Michael Jordan and Dončić. In April he scored 51 points against Orlando.
The problems were in half-court offense. According to NBA.com, the Mavericks were the second-most efficient team in the league in transition but dead last in half-court offense, finishing 27th overall in scoring.
The Offseason: Ujiri, May, and a New Roster
The changes started in the front office. Masai Ujiri, who built the 2019 championship Toronto team, took over as president in May, and in June hired Dusty May as head coach—NCAA champion with Michigan and making his NBA debut. The goal is to build around Flagg.
On the roster, the big news is Kyrie Irving's return. At 34 years old and 19 months after his injury, he arrives at training camp with no restrictions. Before the injury he averaged 24.7 points, and NBA.com notes his efficiency in isolation and pick-and-roll is far superior to any point guard Dallas had last season. His future, however, remains uncertain: NBA.com questions whether he'll stay in Dallas after the trade deadline.
From the draft came Morez Johnson Jr., a May pupil at Michigan, and Tobi Lawal. Dallas also bet on Zaccharie Risacher, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft, who didn't quite take off in Atlanta and whom NBA.com identifies as a breakout candidate. Naji Marshall re-signed after his best season, averaging 15.2 points. Departing are Klay Thompson, Khris Middleton, Marvin Bagley III, Dwight Powell, and Brandon Williams.
Aldama and De Larrea: The Spanish Touch
Santi Aldama arrived from Memphis in a six-team trade, along with Marcus Sasser and the rights to Tarik Biberović. The Canary native comes off his best season: 14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists, with 35% from three. He's averaged double figures in each of the last three seasons, and in Dallas his profile as a stretch four fits perfectly.
Sergio de Larrea makes the jump directly from Valencia Basket. Selected with the No. 25 pick, Dallas traded up from No. 30 to get him and signed him to the maximum rookie scale: roughly $16 million over four years. The Valladolid-born point guard arrives as Liga Endesa champion, the league's best young player, and 2025 Supercopa MVP, shooting 41.2% from three across Liga Endesa, EuroLeague, and Eurocup since the 2024-25 season.
The Rotation
The expected starting five is Irving, Klay Thompson... no: with Klay gone, it's Max Christie, Flagg, P.J. Washington, and Dereck Lively II. Dallas has an excess of big men, with Washington, Lively, Daniel Gafford, Aldama, and Johnson, and NBA.com sees that competition for minutes as a positive. On the perimeter, Risacher, Marshall, Sasser, and De Larrea will battle for the remaining minutes.
Read Also
- Santi Aldama Arrives at Dallas in Six-Team Trade
- Sergio de Larrea Signs with Dallas Mavericks
- 2026 NBA Draft: Complete List of All 60 Picks
The Season's Big Questions
First is the fit between Irving and Flagg, who have never played an official game together. Kyrie should take creation duties off Flagg's shoulders, and the rookie needs it: he shot 29.5% from three.
Second is the role of the Spanish players. Aldama competes for minutes in a crowded paint, and De Larrea arrives as a young point guard to a team with Kyrie, Sasser, and Christie. For De Larrea it will be a learning year; for Aldama, an opportunity to earn a stable role.
Third is Risacher. He's 21 and needs an environment that believes in him after two inconsistent years in Atlanta.
And there remains the big question: how far does this team go in the West? Ujiri has made clear there will be no shortcuts.
The Schedule: Key Dates
Preseason starts October 9 in Macau against the Rockets. In the regular season, the Spurs arrive October 24 in a matchup featuring three No. 1 overall picks on the court: Flagg, Risacher, and Wembanyama. In November, two visits on consecutive days: on the 14th, Kyrie returns to Cleveland, where he won the 2016 championship, and on the 15th Flagg plays in Boston, near his native Maine.
LeBron arrives December 17 with the Sixers, and on February 13 comes the matchup with the Hornets' Kon Knueppel, Flagg's Duke teammate and runner-up in Rookie of the Year voting.
Piratas' Prediction
The Mavericks are closer to the beginning of a project than to its maturity. They have a future star, an All-Star-caliber point guard if healthy, and plenty of interior depth, but the West shows no mercy and the team starts from scratch with a new coach and front office. Our prediction: between 36 and 42 wins and a play-in tournament push. The season's success won't be measured only by the record, but by Flagg's leap forward and the minutes Aldama and De Larrea find.
