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The Dallas Mavericks are in a unique position this season, with Cooper Flagg joining a win-now cast, and he and Anthony Davis could combine for a rare feat.
After trading for Kyrie Irving in 2023, signing Klay Thompson in 2024, and rounding out their win-now core with Anthony Davis last season, the Dallas Mavericks seemed committed to a three-year championship window built around aging stars.
Then, with only a 1.8% chance to win the draft lottery, the Mavericks lucked out, landing Duke standout Cooper Flagg.
Flagg is touted as a generational two-way player akin to Kevin Garnett and is expected to lead the Mavericks long after Thompson, Davis, and Irving are past their primes.
Cooper Flagg is expected to win Rookie of the Year
After one of the best college seasons in history, Flagg is expected to take the NBA by storm. He is the best American prospect since LeBron James, and, as a result, is the runaway favorite to win Rookie of the Year.
Flagg averaged 20.5 points in two Summer League games and is expected to have similar success right away in the NBA.
| Sportsbook | Odds | Place Amongst Rookies |
| BetMGM | -225 | 1st |
| DraftKings | -200 | 1st |
| ESPN Bet | -190 | 1st |
| FanDuel | -185 | 1st |
| Bet Rivers | -200 | 1st |
The Mavericks are scheduled for more than their fair share of marquee games, showing that the league firmly believes in their success. Of course, Dallas has surrounded Flagg with veteran, complementary talent, and he is far from the only star on the team.
Anthony Davis is a dark horse MVP candidate
While Davis’ MVP odds are nowhere near as dominant as Flagg’s ROTY odds, he is an elite defender and multi-level scorer who is finally out of James’ shadow.
Davis last made the All-NBA First Team and received MVP votes in 2020, so there is a case to be made that he is past his prime, although after the Lakers traded him, he has a lot to prove.
“Everything is about health with Davis, and that’s why, barring a stroke of good fortune, his MVP chances might be fragile, so to speak,” admitted NBA.com’s Shaun Powell. “Will Davis even reach the minimum games required (65) to be considered for MVP or any other award? He has met that figure only once since 2018.”
However, when he is healthy, he is one of the very best players in the NBA, and with a narrative to support his case as well as an excellent roster around him, he could surpass his third-place finish in 2018, back when he was the lone star for a full season on the New Orleans Pelicans.
“This is setting up to be a redemptive season for him, his first full season in Dallas,” continued Powell. “He’ll be out to prove he’s still in his prime, that he can carry a team, that he can keep the Mavs steeply competitive until Kyrie Irving returns, and that he can stay healthy. If he does all that, the MVP votes will follow.”
Cooper Flagg and Anthony Davis can make NBA award history
Only twice has a player won both NBA MVP and ROTY: Wilt Chamberlain in 1960 and Wes Unseld in 1969.
In the ABA, Spencer Haywood and Artis Gilmore both managed the same feat (Gilmore the most recent in 1972), although never before has a team enjoyed two different players winning MVP and ROTY in the same season, regardless of league.
The Warriors (Chamberlain) and the Wizards/Bullets (Unseld) had dual winners, although their winner of both awards was the same person. It’s rare that a team with very real title hopes wins the draft lottery, so usually, the best rookie does not join a team with a legitimate MVP candidate.
Asking Davis to meet the 65-game threshold is a massive demand, although if he can stay healthy and the Mavericks meet or exceed expectations, expect him to be in the running.
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