I'd rather watch the Mavs play hard and try to keep improving with the guys they have this season rather than mail it in and play the lottery for next year. It's possible we could get a terrible draw in the lottery this year. It's also possible we could pick a dud in the draft. Play for today.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6888689/2025/12/15/mavericks-nba-trade-deadline-anthony-davis/

the Mavericks are signaling a desire to be competitive for the rest of the season, even though Dallas' 2026 first-round pick is the last of its own first-round picks it has outright control of until 2031.

That doesn't mean the Mavericks are unwilling to be sellers ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline. The team is expected to listen to offers on many of its veteran players, including Anthony Davis, league sources said. But the Mavericks are acting as though they are comfortable keeping the core of their roster intact through the rest of this season if there aren't deals out there they feel good about.

Seems about right and perhaps the best approach. I just do not believe they are or would be bad enough to make their own pick worth really tanking. Partly because I don't think they'd be able to trade enough guys away to be awful, and partly because their core group of Flagg, Washington, Nembhard, Marshall, Christie, Powell, Williams, Cisse and Kyrie when he comes back, just isn't going to lose enough games. That group plays way too hard and cares way too much. Plus you still have some level of talent there.

And tbh, why couldn't they just try and win with AD, Flagg and Kyrie over the next 2.5 years? No one says you have to extend AD. Just let him play out the contract and hit the open market while trying to make Flagg into a top 10 NBA guy and be competitive. I just don't know if tanking for just this year is all that feasible. You don't want to go overboard, ruin you next season or the one after that, and then get the 12th pick in the draft because the lottery gods came back to haunt you.

If the Mavs bring Kyrie back and roll out Flagg / Kyrie / AD / PJ + Christie/Nembhard/Klay, then yes they are clearly too good not to be in the play-in. Tracking down the Suns and getting as high as the 7th seed is in play. The Mavs can't tell the players to tank, so they are going to try.

If the Mavs don't bring back Kyrie, trade AD, trade Gafford, and start sitting guys who pick up any injury for precautionary reasons, you will get out of the play-in and have a top 10 pick. However, you probably have no chance to out-tank the Kings, Jazz (heavy incentive to tank), Wizards, Pacers, or Nets at this point. Even teams like the Pelicans (won 2 in a row) and Clippers with no incentive to tank will be hard to get behind. So at best you are probably in that 7th/8th spot (30% of a top 4 pick).

At the current trajectory if the Mavs don't make the playoffs they would probably be 12th/13th. That is the difference between having 6% odds at a top 4 pick versus 30% odds at a top 4 pick. Maybe the bigger question is, how does the scouting department feel about the 7th best player in the draft versus the 13th.

just feels like we're stuck between a rock and a hard place

Absolutely, and I guess a better way to say what I did above is maybe the path of least resistance is the one where you keep Kyrie and AD until they are free agents. You just ride out that time competing, groom Coop along the way, and then change gears when they come off the books (you aren't resigning either of them again whatsoever under any circumstances imo). Coop will be at most 22.

That being said, they are 100% going to make some moves this deadline though. They need cap space this year and going into the offseason. Gafford might as well be out the door now, just get him healthy. I think they are going to do everything possible to get Klay out as well even though that will be almost impossible.

Ugh, I'm good with literally any decision the Mavs make with regards to Kyrie, Klay, PJ, Gafford, etc. Keep em, trade em...whatever. Kyrie has paid his dues to this team and city and I genuinely what whatever is best for him. Same with Klay. He signed with us under false pretenses that he would be getting open shots generated by the greatest half court operator alive. And now that player is gone. So if he wants out, do him that favor of getting him to his destination.

It's AD that I'm pretty stubborn on. I don't think anyone can convince me that holding on to him with HOPES that he stays healthy long enough to make a meaningful impact to this team is the right decision. I think the absolute worst case scenario for this team is if AD somehow stays healthy, and Dallas scrapes together a tough 2nd round playoff exit, and deludes themselves they can make tweaks to contend next season. Because if they do that, then they will absolutely be extending AD and that is the death warrant. A new extension for AD will mean 40% of your entire salary cap is tied to one 33 year old player with a laundry list of lower body injuries. Cooper's entire rookie contract will be wasted. That's why they have to move AD as soon as possible, for the best deal possible.

Overtime .

Clutch plays by Flagg and Davis

That foul call on Davis was bull*****

That was a wild finish. Bickerstaff and Kidd are both going to have some choice words for the refs. Mavs announcer called it Prison Ball Rules.

Guitarsoup said:

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The Mavericks are officially open to trade calls on Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson and Daniel Gafford, per @ShamsCharania.

Dallas plans to fully shift towards Cooper Flagg’s timeline by February’s deadline. pic.twitter.com/KSZHs4UrZH

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) December 18, 2025

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So in the meantime, we'll win as many games as possible?

South Platte said:

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Guitarsoup said:

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The Mavericks are officially open to trade calls on Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson and Daniel Gafford, per @ShamsCharania.

Dallas plans to fully shift towards Cooper Flagg’s timeline by February’s deadline. pic.twitter.com/KSZHs4UrZH

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) December 18, 2025

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So in the meantime, we'll win as many games as possible?

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Right, that way you can't fully tank and get a really mid pick. Tommy boy has it all figured out.

Total ref show last night (awful calls going against both teams) but still encouraging to see the fight in this team. While Dallas had more Free Throws, Detroit dominated the glass and had something like 30+ more shot attempts? That has to be some kind of record for a losing team.

Cooper's development has been insane. He seemingly does something new every game I didn't know he had (his stop and pop from mid range while going full speed in transition was nasty work).

Watching AD is like a Mavs fans Rorschach test...being both great and terrible and neither opinion is wrong. His effort in the last 2-3 minutes was outstanding however, and it's maddening to see him sleep walk through 3 quarters before finally activating.

Klay and Naji need to hit their open 3s. Cant believe how many wide open bricks the Mavs had last night.

Yeah that shot differential was crazy! 122 attempts for Detroit.

Winners of 6 of the last 8. Ws over Houston, Denver, and Detroit. This team ain't terrible.

Cooper is quickly turning into a veteran. Better in every aspect each month.

Flagg has proven enough. Time to sit him with a nagging hamstring for the next 4 months.

Yeah pretty much. AD is that impactful when he's on the floor. They are going to win a lot of games with him and they are going to lose a lot of games without him.

I wish we could trade all away our talent for draft picks, sign Flagg to an extension through 2040, then sit him until the 2028-2029 season.

Guitarsoup said:

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South Platte said:

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I wish we could trade all away our talent for draft picks, sign Flagg to an extension through 2040, then sit him until the 2028-2029 season.

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Sitting Flagg in seasons you don't own your own pick is a bold move.

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We'll get other teams early picks as replacements through trades. And sitting him is to keep him fresh and uninjured.

It's fool proof move, really . . .

South Platte said:

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Guitarsoup said:

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South Platte said:

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I wish we could trade all away our talent for draft picks, sign Flagg to an extension through 2040, then sit him until the 2028-2029 season.

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Sitting Flagg in seasons you don't own your own pick is a bold move.

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We'll get other teams early picks as replacements through trades. And sitting him is to keep him fresh and uninjured.

It's fool proof move, really . . .

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Are you trolling? Because no matter how many picks the mavs get, intentionally tanking when you dont' have your own pick is how you make dynasties for other teams.

Guitarsoup said:

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The Mavericks are officially open to trade calls on Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson and Daniel Gafford, per @ShamsCharania.

Dallas plans to fully shift towards Cooper Flagg’s timeline by February’s deadline. pic.twitter.com/KSZHs4UrZH

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) December 18, 2025

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Gafford seems like the most tradeable asset that might get the Mavs below the 1st apron and net them draft picks, or at least not have to deal assets.

Iowaggie said:

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Guitarsoup said:

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The Mavericks are officially open to trade calls on Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson and Daniel Gafford, per @ShamsCharania.

Dallas plans to fully shift towards Cooper Flagg’s timeline by February’s deadline. pic.twitter.com/KSZHs4UrZH

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) December 18, 2025

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Gafford seems like the most tradeable asset that might get the Mavs below the 1st apron and net them draft picks, or at least not have to deal assets.

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Yikes 10.5M over 1st apron is not ideal.

Pretty much any team would love to have Gafford. My problem with trading him is if you are trading AD, your only center is Lively, who cant be counted on. You are going to have to replace Gaff soon anyway.

The hope is someone desperate will take Klay (17.4M next year), because even though he is kind of washed, with a good PG he can knock down open shots and still has gravity where you can't leave him alone.

The other hope is that you can attach Caleb Martin and/or Hardy on a trade as a tax.

PJ Washington can't actually be traded until after the season.

Few more bad Ls

Cooper is too good for the tank.

He's that guy that's for sure

After dropping one to the pelicans, the Mavs beat the Nuggets for the second time in a couple of weeks! Monster games by AD and Flagg.
Hardy in the lineup with PJ out. This team!

I'm officially off the tank train. AD is special when healthy. Flagg is getting more special-er each week. IF Kyrie comes back healthy sooner than later, look out. We're already beating some of the best in the NBA.

Win now (or 26-27)!

If the other teams ahead of the Mavericks win at roughly the same rate they currently are winning then the Mavericks will have to have a win pace equivalent to a 64 win team the rest of the way just to get to the 6 seed.

Correct, it makes zero sense to try and make the playoffs at this point with only 1 draft pick left in our control for the next 5 seasons. But, we're in no man's land. Too good to really compete for a top pick (minus another insanely lucky draw yeah right), and not good enough to really compete for a playoff spot. We need to move AD and Klay and get some value back.

NoahAg said:

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I'm officially off the tank train. AD is special when healthy. Flagg is getting more special-er each week. IF Kyrie comes back healthy sooner than later, look out. We're already beating some of the best in the NBA.

Win now (or 26-27)!

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I see 2 IFs that are very unlikely
AD will be hurt again, kyrie will not be the same if he comes back

NoahAg said:

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I'm officially off the tank train. AD is special when healthy. Flagg is getting more special-er each week. IF Kyrie comes back healthy sooner than later, look out. We're already beating some of the best in the NBA.

Win now (or 26-27)!

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I think the fans now start to see the vision.

Lol

Sell AD high. I don't care if they can't tank badly enough.