Dallas, TX
3 Biggest Questions Facing the Dallas Mavericks This Offseason
To say the 2025-26 season was a disaster for the Dallas Mavericks would be a massive understatement. They thought they could make a deep postseason run with the star rookie Cooper Flagg flanked by Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, but that never ended up happening.
Flagg was spectacular, putting up historic numbers. Anthony Davis played only 20 games before he was salary-dumped to the Washington Wizards, and Kyrie Irving never played this season as he recovered from a torn ACL. All of that led to the Mavs finishing with an abysmal 26-56 record.
As they enter the offseason, here are the three biggest questions we’re asking.
Who Do the Mavericks Hire As General Manager/President of Basketball Operations?
The Dallas Mavericks fired Nico Harrison in November, which was about 9 months too late, but they need to find his replacement. Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley have performed admirably in their co-interim GM setup, being able to pull off the Anthony Davis trade, while adding in Jaden Hardy and D’Angelo Russell, which opened a lot of future financial flexibility.
However, the Mavericks want to go big game hunting. Tim Connelly and Koby Altman have been mentioned as possibilities, as Dumont wants the best executive personnel possible.
Whoever is hired will have to execute in this upcoming draft, but they’ll have some options about what to do with their space below the first tax apron. Do they use it to bring in additional picks? Can they use Khris Middleton’s Bird Rights to secure a high-value free agent? They’ll have a few different options at their disposal.
Who Do the Mavericks Take in the NBA Draft Lottery?
The 2026 NBA Draft is the last year the Mavericks have control over their first-round pick until 2031. 2027’s is top-2 protected, it goes to the Charlotte Hornets, 2028 and 2030 are pick swaps owned by the San Antonio Spurs and OKC Thunder, and 2029’s is currently owned by the Houston Rockets.
That makes it imperative to nail the 2026 NBA Draft. They’ll have a lottery pick, though the exact pick won’t be known until the lottery is held in May. They also have the 30th overall pick and a mid-second round pick. Capitalizing on that lottery pick is a must, though. That’s their best and possibly only chance to pair Cooper Flagg with another young star.
What Does Kyrie Irving Look Like When He Comes Back?
Kyrie Irving possibly could’ve returned during the season, but they decided to let him recover all year, mostly because of the state the team was in. How they think he will look next season will impact their entire offseason and draft process.
If they think he can bounce back to form, then they need to add the right complement to him in the backcourt. If they think he’ll come back a step slowed, they may need to consider a trade.
Stick with MavericksGameday for more FREE coverage of the Dallas Mavericks throughout the 2025-26 season
Follow MavericksGameday on Twitter and Austin Veazey on Twitter
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
For a moment, it looked like FC Dallas was on its way to another statement win at home tonight.
Petar Musa scored two first half goals, to extend his Golden Boot leading tally to nine goals. But after Dallas grabbed control, the Galaxy found a way back before halftime with goals from Lucas Sanabria and Joseph Paintsil.
The second half brought more chances and more frustration for Dallas, which finished the night with 13 shots to LA’s nine. In the end, the point stretched Dallas’ unbeaten run to five games, though just like last week, it felt like another match where Dallas left points on the table.
Key Moments
7’ – GOAL! After a poor pass back by a LA defender, Petar Musa was free to go one-on-one with the LA goalkeeper. After a touch to get ahead of a defender, Musa slotted home his eighth goal of the season from outside the penalty box.
21’ – Offside! Joaquin Valiente sent a floating ball over the Galaxy defense, where Musa was able to get behind the defense and make an easy play for what appeared to be his second goal of the night. The play was called offside despite a fairly lengthy review period.
38’ – GOAL! This one counts! Musa gets his second of the night off a great ball from Chris Cappis. Logan Farrington picked off the ball in the midfield. He then played Cappis wide to the left of the penalty area. Cappis immediately played a ball back across the goal for Musa to slide in and finish for his ninth of the season.
43’ – Goal LA. Lucas Sanabria got the ball near the top of the penalty area. He took a couple of touches to get outside the penalty box before firing a shot that beat Michael Collodi at the near post.
45+4’ – Goal LA. Gabriel Pec got the ball near the top of the penalty area. He pulled the ball back a bit, which caught a pair of Dallas defenders. This allowed Joseph Painstil to get free behind the Dallas defense as Pec played him through inside the penalty area. Pec immediately smashed home a shot above Collodi to tie the game.
75’ – Another offside goal. This time on a corner kick for Dallas, after a scrum in the penalty box, Kaick hammered home what looked to be the go-ahead goal. But after a few seconds the flag was raised due to a deflection on Osaze Urhoghide, who was in an offside position.
Instant Reaction
Yeah, this is another disappointing result for this team. In a real way, it felt like the first half against Houston from last month. Dallas grabbed the lead, looked in control, but some defensive miscues opened the game up for the visitors to climb back.
With a double-game week coming up, this will certainly be another game where Dallas will wonder ‘what if’ more than anything else…especially when you factor in the two goals called off for offside.
About the Subs
Eric Quill went to his bench for the first time in the 66th minute, as he brought on Santiago Moreno for Logan Farrington. Quill went to his bench again 81st minute with Ran Binyamin and Nolan Norris coming on for Sebastien Ibeagha and Deedson. The final sub came during stoppage time with Herman Johansson and Joaquin Valiente coming off for Sam Sarver and rookie Nick Simmonds, who made his MLS debut.
Man of the Match
No question about it tonight, it has to be Musa.
Where does this fit into the season
As of this writing, the draw puts Dallas into a three-way tie for 5th place with Real Salt Lake and Seattle. Both are in action right now and look firmly in control of their games. I’d expect Dallas to be in 7th place by the end of the night.
What’s next for FC Dallas
Dallas wraps up a three-game homestand next Wednesday night as they host Minnesota United.
Dallas, TX
Akheem Mesidor selected by Cowboys by Blogging The Boys in SB Nation’s community mock draft
Akheem Mesidor, Edge, Miami
Pass rush has been an issue since the Micah Parsons trade. The Rashan Gary trade helped, but Dallas still needs an injection of talent. Akheem Mesidor fits here because his body size allows for some versatility inside and out, something DC Christian Parker utilizes. Mesidor is also a high-motor player with a deep bag of pass rush moves.
His last season at Miami was full of disruption in the offensive backfield and he shows an all-around game, not just a bend-around-the-edge pass rusher. Yes, he’s a little older than you’d like in a rookie (25), but his motor, pass rush toolbox, and ability to play the run matches up with a need and makes him a quality pick at number 20.
The City of Dallas Office of Community Police Oversight is hosting a Public Safety Response Symposium to connect residents with public safety leaders. Here’s how to participate on May 9.
The Dallas Police Department posted to social media about the event on Friday afternoon. The post states, “Join public safety leaders for an inside look at how emergency and non-emergency calls are handled and how resources are deployed across Dallas.”
The symposium will be held at the Briscoe Carpenter Livestock Center, 1403 Washington St., fro 11 a.m.-noon on May 9. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. Light breakfast and refreshments will be provided.
Topics for the symposium include:
- How 911 calls are handled and dispatched
- How DPD uses specialized units and technology to improve response times
- When to use 311 for non-emergency services
- How crisis and behavioral health teams collaborate through alternative response strategies
There will also be a community Q&A forum where residents can engage directly with public safety leaders. Moderation will be provided.
Dallas Police Chief Daniel C. Comeaux will offer the opening remarks. Featured speakers include 911 Communications Center Assistant Director Robert Uribe; Major of Police Anthony Greer; 311 Senior Outreach Specialist Stephen Walker; and Emergency Management & Crisis Response Director Kevin Oden.
When it comes to parking: Enter through Gate 2 and drive straight to the Pan Am Gate, and continue to the Briscoe Center (located on the left).
RSVP for the Public Safety Response Symposium here.
-
Business24 minutes agoVideo: Why Your Paycheck Feels Smaller
-
Culture48 minutes agoFamous Authors’ Less Famous Books
-
Lifestyle54 minutes agoSunday Puzzle: For Mimi
-
Technology1 hour agoThe future of local TV news has taken a Trumpian turn
-
World1 hour agoPope Leo says remarks about world being ‘ravaged by a handful of tyrants’ were not aimed at Trump: report
-
Politics1 hour agoTrump renews bridge, power plant threat against Iran in push for deal, mocks ‘tough guy’ IRGC
-
Health1 hour agoLoneliness may be silently eroding your memory, new research reveals
-
Sports1 hour agoESPN’s Stephen A Smith hears boos from WrestleMania 42 crowd