Texas basketball is back. Houston was at the top of the West before they traded for Kevin Durant, Wemby is following up an All-NBA pace by training with warrior monks, and the Dallas Mavericks have three of the most exciting players in the NBA.
Yes, Kyrie Irving's handles, Anthony Davis' all-around legendary play, and Cooper Flagg's NBA-ready tools and intangibles make for a terrifying combination to scout for. Not to mention that Klay Thompson likely has more left in the tank than anyone is betting on, Dereck Lively II and Dwight Powell have another year of development under their belts, and D'Angelo Russell is there to shore up the point guard position, and Dallas isn't just talented, but ocean deep.
The clamor of fans against the Luka Dončić trade has come down to a dull roar in the wake of the Mavericks landing the number one pick in the 2025 draft. And despite fears that he would, Nico Harrison did not overthink the blessing, and Dallas, somehow, comes into the 2026 season with both its present and future accounted for.
Except this isn't a video game
Their future is secure. Cooper Flagg looks to be every part of a future star, and Dallas' bigs are young and talented (although let's cross our fingers and hope Dwight Powell's growth hasn't been stunted as of late).
But their present is way murkier than anyone thinks. Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis are all-time legends, and still compete at All-NBA levels when they're healthy. But to paraphrase Stephen A Smith, 'healthy' is the key word. Kyrie Irving has only played 60 or more games in six seasons, and Anthony Davis eight. And for two superstars who at least somewhat predicate their games on their athleticism, the name of the game isn't just availability, but availability at full strength. And as a cherry on top, they're not getting any younger, as both are comfortably above the 30-year-old threshold.
As for that aforementioned depth, Dallas reportedly might be missing Kyrie until January, and possibly until the All-Star break. While trade rumors linked them to multiple point guards over the course of the off-season, Dallas only signed D'Angelo Russell on, presumably on the hope and optimism that Kyrie would come back sooner than later.
Regardless, the Mavericks will be operating without their lead guard for at least a third of the NBA season, and for much longer if he needs extra time to ramp up his minutes or to shake off the rust. In that time, their hopes for the playoffs, forget a top seed, lay on Anthony Davis' shoulders and glass-lined lower body. I'm not a pessimist, nor do I wish ill on anyone, but it is hard to have faith in the good health of either one of AD and Kyrie, let alone both.
The good news is that Cooper Flagg will likely spend a lot of time either as a 1B or true team leader throughout the 2026 season. That time and those reps are crucial into jumpstarting his growth into the future face that Dallas will require him to be.
But talent aside, there is no way a sane gambling man would ever bet on these versions, Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis to even be in the office enough to lead a team to the promised land.