NBA preview: Southwest

For all transactions, view the Southwest Division offseason roundup.

DALLAS MAVERICKS

Coach: Dusty May (0-0 with Dallas)

2025-26: 26-56, No. 12 in West.

C: Daniel Gafford – utterly crucial, if he can turn in a defense-first season for 75 starts, the Mavericks might have a winner worth clinging to while the coaching staff learns on the job. I might be more serious about Daniel Gafford's 2026-27 than Daniel will be.
PF: Cooper Flagg – flawless numbers amid a ridiculous season, mostly performed at age 19. Has a chance to turn in some wild defensive highlights this season, if not defense, and his 29 percent three-point shooting will look like a childish aberration when he's chalking 50/40/90s in a few years.
SF: Naji Marshall – gets to the line, moves without the ball, we shouldn't keep these things on the bench. Averaged 15 points per game and should bang his way for more even with Irving's return, Flagg's easy-for-me forays into looks Cooper can't pass up.
SG: Max Christie – next free throw will be his first (or 354th) but parked 40 percent from deep in his fourth campaign. Turns 24 midseason and nobody's played pro ball with Cooper Flagg more than this guy, Max Christie, cranking 45 percent from the corner and occasionally cutting for a dunk that he barely makes.
PG: Kyrie Irving – will provide players like Max Christie with easier dunks. He will remind us why basketball is special among sports in that within its lines humans can create, also should provide a potent pick-and-roll partner with his starting forwards.

P.J. Washington reacted reasonably to Dallas' usage vacuum, Washington wasn't an unpleasant watch to this outsider with Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving out. Would I pay P.J. $22 million a year? No, hell no, but it might be worth that price not to spend the next four seasons looking for a P.J. Washington-type.

It was a long summer, you've earned a 6-6 point guard named Sergio de Larrea: