Published for Mavericks fans — October 2026
By Toxlay Sports Editorial Team · Last updated October 19, 2026
The Club
The Dallas Mavericks are one of the NBA’s most resilient stories. Founded in 1980, the Mavs play at American Airlines Center in royal blue, navy and silver, and they own one NBA championship — the unforgettable 2011 title won by Dirk Nowitzki and company. This is MFFL territory: Mavs Fan For Life, through the highs and the heartbreaks. And after the wildest 18 months in franchise history, Dallas has hit the reset button — around a 19-year-old prodigy.
Last Season (2025-26): The Hard Reset
On paper: 26-56, 12th in the West, fourth in the Southwest — a second straight season without the playoffs. In reality: the year everything changed. President of basketball operations Nico Harrison was fired on November 11, 2025. Kyrie Irving missed the entire season with the ACL tear suffered in March 2025. And at the February deadline, Dallas traded Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards in an eight-player blockbuster (Davis, Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, two firsts and three seconds) — ending the brief Davis era and going into full tank mode. The season ended on March 23 with an overtime loss to Golden State. But through the rubble, one thing shone: a teenage forward who looked like the answer.
Best Players Right Now (2026-27 Roster)
Cooper Flagg, 19, Forward (#32) — The new face of the franchise. The 2025 No. 1 overall pick won Rookie of the Year (~21 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals on 47% shooting) and closed the season looking like a top-15 player in the league. Everything in Dallas now revolves around him.
Kyrie Irving, 34, Guard (#11) — The returning star. Missed all of last season with the torn ACL, but entered camp with no restrictions and says the year off made him a better leader. Nine-time All-Star, year 16, and the perfect veteran partner for Flagg.
P.J. Washington, 28, Forward (#25) — The two-way engine. Brings defense, energy and the occasional takeover; a potential trade candidate on a team loaded with frontcourt bigs.
Dereck Lively II, 22, Center (#2) — The starting center when healthy — the lob threat and rim protector. Foot issues kept him shelved this preseason; his health is one of the season’s swing factors.
Max Christie, 23, Guard (#12) — Projected starting shooting guard and one of the team’s best defenders. Came over in the Luka trade and has become a core piece.
Daniel Gafford, 28, Center (#21) — The sleeper big. With Lively sidelined, Gafford’s role has grown by default — he’s a fantasy sleeper and a real rotation anchor.
Naji Marshall, 28, Forward (#13) — Re-signed to a 3-year, $52.2 million extension. The gritty wing every contender wants.
Santi Aldama, 25, Forward-Center — Acquired from Memphis in a six-team summer deal. Shooting and size off the bench.
Zaccharie Risacher, 21, Forward — The former No. 1 overall pick, acquired from Atlanta for Ryan Nembhard. A major upside swing on the wing.
Caleb Martin, 31, Forward — Veteran toughness and playoff experience on the wing.
Marcus Sasser, 26, Guard — Acquired in the six-team deal; backcourt depth behind Kyrie.
Morez Johnson Jr., rookie Forward — The No. 9 pick in the 2026 Draft; frontcourt depth with upside.
Head coach: Dusty May — First season. Fresh off a national championship at Michigan, hired by new president Masai Ujiri after Jason Kidd was let go. The college-to-NBA jump is the league’s toughest — May gets his first crack at it.
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Star Spotlight: Stories You Should Know
The trade that broke Dallas. February 2025: the Mavericks shocked the sporting world by trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers — a move fans called an unforgivable sin. In one year, Dallas went from the NBA Finals to being discredited in its hometown. The Anthony Davis era that followed lasted less than a year before the February 2026 Wizards trade. Nico Harrison was fired. Jason Kidd was fired. Masai Ujiri was hired. Eighteen months later, the Luka wound is still the story of this franchise — and the reason Cooper Flagg’s rise feels like redemption.
Flagg’s Rookie of the Year season. The 2025 No. 1 pick didn’t just win Rookie of the Year — he finished the season averaging 25.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists over his final 26 games, looking like one of the 15 best players in the NBA. Now the plan is the Thunder/Spurs blueprint: watch the superstar take a Year 2 leap, and everything else follows. If Flagg keeps climbing, the best-case scenario is a play-in run.
2011: the one that matters. Before all of this, there was Dirk. The 2011 Mavericks — swept the two-time defending champion Lakers, ended the Heat superteam in the Finals — remain the franchise’s crowning glory. Dirk Nowitzki’s one-legged fadeaway is still the soul of this building, and he’s now an active mentor to Flagg. One title in 46 years. The hunt for the second starts now.
This Season (2026-27): The Flagg Era Begins
Vegas set the win total at 34.5 (FanDuel 35.5), with Finals odds around +20000 — the market has no idea what to do with this team. The optimists see it: a healthy Kyrie, a second-year Flagg, a healthy center rotation (Lively, Gafford, Cisse), and first-year coach Dusty May’s immediate impact. The skeptics see it too: a 34-year-old guard coming off a major injury, a team that ranked 26th in three-point percentage, and a rookie coach making the hardest jump in coaching. There’s no tanking risk — Dallas owes its first-round pick to Charlotte — so the incentive is to win. Best case: the play-in. Worst case: the bottom of the West. Either way, Flagg’s development is the season.
Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming Games to Watch
Wondering when the Mavericks play? The Mavericks schedule opens with a Texas double — grab your Mavericks tickets early for these:
- October 21 — at Houston Rockets (opener, 8:30 PM ET): The season tips off on the road against a Southwest Division rival — and it’s Kevin Durant’s Rockets debut. Kyrie’s first real game in 19 months.
- October 23 — at Indiana Pacers (7:00 PM ET): Second night of a road back-to-back to open the year. First look at the Kyrie-Flagg pairing away from home.
- October 24 — vs San Antonio Spurs (home opener, 7:00 PM, American Airlines Center): THE Texas war. Wembanyama and the 62-win Spurs come to Dallas. Flagg vs. Wemby — the future of the league on one floor.
- October 28 — vs Oklahoma City Thunder (home, 8:30 PM): The defending champs visit. A measuring stick for how far this rebuild has to go.
- October 30 — vs Houston Rockets (home): The rematch, nine days after the opener. Back-to-back early-season cracks at a division rival.
Biggest Rivalries — The Wars
1. San Antonio Spurs — THE Texas war. The I-35 rivalry is the blood feud that defines both franchises. The Spurs went 62-20 last season; Dallas went 26-56. October 24 is the first chapter of the Flagg-vs-Wemby era.
2. Los Angeles Lakers — The Luka wound. Every Lakers game is now personal in Dallas. The February 2025 trade made this the most emotional matchup on the schedule.
3. Houston Rockets — The Southwest battle. Division rivals who open the season against each other — and Durant in a Rockets jersey adds a new chapter.
4. Denver Nuggets — The West’s benchmark. Fifty-four wins last season and a 12-game win streak to close it. Dallas wants to be where Denver is.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Cooper Flagg win Rookie of the Year?
Yes. The 2025 No. 1 pick won the award after averaging roughly 21 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists, closing the season looking like a top-15 player.
When the Mavericks play the Spurs in 2026-27?
October 24 at American Airlines Center for the home opener — Flagg vs. Wembanyama, the future of the league on one floor.
Who are the best Mavericks players right now?
Cooper Flagg, a healthy Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II, coached by first-year head coach Dusty May.
Why is Mavericks vs. Lakers personal?
The February 2025 Luka Doncic trade to the Lakers broke Dallas — every Lakers visit is now the most emotional matchup on the schedule.
Show Your Colors
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Sources & official links: Dallas Mavericks official site · Dallas Mavericks tickets
MFFL — the reset is over, the Flagg era is here, and Dallas is watching again.
