The Dallas Mavericks (23-50) dropped their fifth straight game Wednesday, falling 142-135 to the Denver Nuggets (45-28) in a game that felt within reach early before completely getting away from them late. Dallas had a few solid stretches to start, showing some offensive rhythm and energy, but couldn’t sustain it as Denver’s shot-making and overall execution took over. Cooper Flagg continued his strong stretch with 26 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, while P.J. Washington added 19 points and 15 rebounds with steady production inside. On the other side, Jamal Murray put together a dominant performance with 53 points, and Nikola Jokić orchestrated everything with 23 points, 21 rebounds and 19 assists, as the Nuggets controlled the game from the middle quarters on.
Dallas, TX
Cowboys news: Draft class still receiving praise, but intriguing free agents still available
Cowboys land 4 players in ESPN’s top-100 draft values – Mario Herrera Jr., Inside The Star
The Cowboys may have gotten good value with a lot of their draft picks, but will they get the starting-caliber talent they need?
A few days ago, ESPN NFL Journalist Matt Miller published an article with his top-100 draft values and the top two on the list feature the Chicago Bears picks of QB Caleb Williams and WR Rome Odunze.
There are several Philadelphia Eagles on the list, headlined by cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean making the top 12.
The Dallas Cowboys were honored four times. Their first selection at #36 on the list and their last locking in the 88th slot out of 100.
#36 OT Tyler Guyton
The Cowboys’ 1st-round pick, Tyler Guyton also tops the list for Dallas’ selections to Miller’s top 100, coming in at #36.
“Entering the draft, the Cowboys had issues at left tackle, running back, center, and linebacker. The front office waited and played the board well, trading back and still getting one of the top tackles in the class.
“Guyton should be seen as a developmental player after just 15 starts in college, but Dallas does a great job identifying talent and coaching it up on the line (as we saw with Tyler Smith before him).”
The massive offensive tackle from Oklahoma was almost a telegraphed pick to the Cowboys based on how they’ve drafted before.
He is raw but he has the traits the Cowboys look for in offensive tackles, standing nearly 6’8″ tall and weighing in at 322lbs with 34 1/8″ arms.
Free Agents Cowboys Should Pursue After 2024 NFL Draft – Kristopher Knox, Bleacher Report
The Cowboys seem comfortable with what they have, but some names that could help remain available in free agency.
Dallas did turn back to the free-agent market post-draft, signing former running back Ezekiel Elliott to a one-year, $2 million deal. The Cowboys may not be done bargain-hunting, though, with just $4.5 million in cap space remaining, they may also have to get creative with their contract construction.
Here, we’ll examine three available free agents Dallas should pursue in the post-draft window of free agency.
WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
The Cowboys have one great receiver in CeeDee Lamb and a lot of questions after him. Brandin Cooks was mostly just fine in 2023, Jalen Tolbert is still developing and Michael Gallup is gone.
Dallas did take a sixth-round flier on Southern Missouri State’s Ryan Flournoy, but it could stand to have more depth at receiver.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling is one of the more notable names left on the market, and his skill set would also fit with the Cowboys. The speedy, if sometimes inconsistent, receiver can play on the perimeter or in the slot. He would also give Dallas another potent deep threat to help back off opposing defenses.
Valdes-Scantling had his fair share of ups and downs with the Kansas City Chiefs over the past two years, but he came up big in the 2023 postseason. He caught eight passes for 128 yards and a touchdown in the playoffs and had two grabs on Kansas City’s overtime game-winning drive in Super Bowl LVII.
For a Cowboys team that hasn’t advanced past the divisional round since 1995, Valdes-Scantling’s Super Bowl experience could be quite valuable—if Dallas can land him on a team-friendly deal.
Stephen Jones blames failure to pursue Derrick Henry on salary cap – Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk
The Cowboys were not willing to spend anywhere close to the top market price for a free agent RB this offseason.
Appearing with Adam Schein of SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio, Cowboys executive V.P. Stephen Jones addressed the failure to make a phone call to Henry.
“Well, first of all, nothing but respect for Derrick Henry,” Jones said. “I mean, he’s one of the top backs in this league. He’s had one of the great careers in this league. I wish him nothing but the best with the Ravens. I’m sure a great place for him. Our situation is just, you know, and no one ever wants to say it, but it’s salary cap, and we just didn’t have the money to allocate to that position in terms of where we were from a cap standpoint, knowing what we’re looking at with Dak [Prescott] and certainly Micah [Parsons] and CeeDee Lamb. We just didn’t have those type of resources to allocate to that position or we probably would’ve already had it filled with Tony Pollard. We hated to lose Tony Pollard. We had to lose Zeke the year before from a cap standpoint. And, you know, we just didn’t have the dollars to allocate to the running back position. And, certainly, looking to do it in a more efficient way in terms of how it complements the rest of our offensive roster.”
If they had reached a deal to extend the contracts of Prescott and/or Lamb, however, their cap numbers for 2024 — $55.45 million and $17.991 million, respectively — would have dropped, creating room for other positions. That’s how these things go. Cap space gets created, can gets kicked, team can go all in, or something like it.
How CeeDee Lamb, WR corps help Cowboys running game in 2024 – Reid Hanson, The Cowboys Wire
The Cowboys may not have a true lead running back, but they have plenty of players that can line up in the backfield.
Using WRs as an extension of the running game is nothing new in the NFL. It doesn’t take Deebo Samuel or a Shanahan offense to get the ball into the hands of these untraditional ball carriers, Mike McCarthy showed last season even he can find ways to give carries to his top pass catcher.
Averaging just under one carry per game, Lamb was quite the formidable weapon on the ground. Whether it was a handoff around the edge, or a run between the tackles, Lamb was consistently successful. His 85.7% success rate as a runner was far and away better than any of the Cowboys’ traditional ball carriers. His 8.1 yards/attempt were staggeringly efficient with over 57 percent of his carries going for either a first down or touchdown.
Given the wear and tear associated with the ground game and Lamb’s importance in the passing game, he’s obviously limited in terms of volume. But Lamb isn’t the only WR on the roster, and given the rawness of the WR room overall, rushing attempts may be exactly what this group in Dallas needs to manufacture opportunities.
Behind Lamb and Brandin Cooks are a number of viable candidates in the WR room. KaVontae Turpin leads the list of explosive playmakers starving for opportunities. The 5-foot-9, 175-pound human joystick averaged 10 yards per carry as a runner last season. The problem was he only logged 11 attempts. While Lamb is too valuable to the passing game to risk overusing as a runner, Turpin is primarily just a return man. The risk isn’t as severe with Turpin and the reward could be astronomical.
Even if Turpin just averaged one rushing attempt per game, he’d establish himself as a threat and could be used in motion as a decoy to spread out defenses and create more opportunities for others.
Bland talks prep after historic season, Diggs return – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com
It will be exciting to see what DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs can do together in Mike Zimmer’s defense.
“It’s definitely harder to keep a low profile after last season, but I’m enjoying it,” said Bland, wearing a big smile after enjoying the 2024 Reliant Home Run Derby to benefit The Salvation Army.
But don’t plan on him changing his approach this offseason because, well, it ain’t broke so Bland isn’t trying to fix it.
“It’s all been the same,” said the First-Team All-Pro of his offseason approach heading into Year 3. “Gotta keep it the same. “I always have the same expectations. It [did] improve my confidence, going into more years in this league as well. I’m going into my third year so, yeah, I’m more confident now.”
It certainly works in the Cowboys’ favor that Bland isn’t the only record-setting cornerback that will take the field for them in 2023, seeing as Trevon Diggs is currently on track to be available at the start of training camp after suffering a torn ACL last September.
The loss of Diggs was a massive blow to Dallas’ defense, and Bland’s excellence helped to stop the bleeding. In the months to come, however, Diggs will return to a defense that features an ascended Bland playing the opposite boundary, versus the version that was previously set (in 2023) to split reps with Jourdan Lewis in the nickel before injury rocked the depth chart.
For his part, Bland could not be more thrilled with Diggs’ return.
“A lot of people aren’t expecting what Tre is gonna come back with,” he said of his fellow First-Team All-Pro and former NFL interceptions leader. “I know what Tre is gonna come back with, and it’s gonna be something dangerous. I can’t wait.”
A huge reason for the instant success of both Diggs and Bland at the NFL level is attributable to a coaching staff that features Al Harris, who received a promotion this offseason to assistant head coach — while also retaining his original duties as defensive backs coach.
Cowboys already have significant disadvantage in quest for back-to-back NFC East titles – Mauricio Rodriguez, A to Z Sports
The 2024 NFL schedule will be released this month, possibly as early as next week.
Cowboys have a much tougher schedule than the Eagles do in 2024
Although many insist on using last year’s win-loss record to determine strength of schedule, things change so quickly in the NFL that is always a better idea to use Las Vegas’ win total projections for the upcoming season. Although the betting world doesn’t get everything right, they’re usually pretty darn close in the grand scheme of things.
Using this method, popularized by Warren Sharp from Sharp Football, the Cowboys’ schedule ranks 22nd in the league (32nd being the toughest). Meanwhile, the Eagles will face the 9th easiest schedule.
The difference is massive for a division that has consistently come down to the wire in recent years. After finishing first in the NFC East last year, the Cowboys will be squaring off against the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions, which appear to have a lot of continuity after finishing 2023 as the best NFC teams. Meanwhile the Eagles avoid both squads in a relatively thin NFC.
The Cowboys also get the Houston Texans as their “17th game” which means they’ll need to face the rising C.J. Stroud, who will now count with Stefon Diggs to target in the passing game.
Ultimately, the division will largely come down to how the Cowboys fare against the Eagles in their two games next season. But any advantage (or disadvantage) matters in a race that hasn’t been won in back-to-back years by any team since 2004, which is the case for the NFC East crown.
Starting next year, every 3- and 4-year-old in Dallas ISD will be able to enroll in pre-K tuition-free.
The district’s board adopted a new universal free pre-K plan at a board meeting Thursday. The proposal passed by an 8-0 vote, with no discussion.
Currently, the district offers free pre-K to students who qualify under certain federal, state and district guidelines, and charges tuition to all other students. Under the policy adopted Thursday, the district will drop its tuition rate for non-qualifying students to $0 beginning with the next school year.
The district’s current pre-K tuition rate is $5,000 a year for full-day classes for 3- and 4-year-olds, and $2,500 a year for half-day classes for 3-year-olds. During a March 12 board briefing, Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde told the board that about 267 families are paying pre-K tuition this year.
Elizalde told The Dallas Morning News this month that it costs the district more to manage those families’ tuition payments than those payments bring in. The district’s pre-K classes have enough open seats that district leaders don’t expect to have to hire more teachers after the new policy goes into effect, meaning the financial impact to the district is expected to be minimal.
Dallas ISD isn’t the first North Texas school district to offer tuition-free pre-K. Fort Worth ISD implemented universal free pre-K more than a decade ago, and Arlington ISD offers free, full-day pre-K for all 4-year-olds and half-day classes for 3-year-olds that are free to students who qualify with a tuition rate of $2,295 for those who don’t.
Dallas ISD’s pre-K registration for the 2026-27 school year opens April 1.
The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas.
The DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative, with support from Bobby and Lottye Lyle, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Garrett and Cecilia Boone, Judy and Jim Gibbs, The Meadows Foundation, The Murrell Foundation, Ron and Phyllis Steinhart, Solutions Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University, Sydney Smith Hicks, and the University of Texas at Dallas. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control of the Education Lab’s journalism.
Dallas, TX
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson is confident about cost estimates to repair, rehab City Hall and insists the process has been transparent
Mayor Eric Johnson said he hasn’t made up his mind about the future of Dallas City Hall, the iconic I.M. Pei-designed landmark, but remains confident in the cost estimates to fix it.
City‑hired experts said it will cost $329 million to repair the nearly 50‑year‑old building and about $1 billion to rehabilitate and modernize it for the next 20 years.
Johnson said he trusts the numbers.
“I believe that those numbers are accurate,” Johnson said. “I just want to say that right up front, because I do know that there’s questions about whether or not these numbers are or have been inflated, or should we trust these numbers? I don’t know where we’d get another set of numbers that would be more trustworthy.
“These companies that have looked at this are very reputable, and so, I believe the numbers. I really believe that our jobs as a council and as a city are to do the best thing that we can, the best thing we can for our taxpayers. Not a good thing, but the best thing with the taxpayers’ dollars.”
The mayor said he, like everyone else, is waiting for more information. Earlier this month, he and eight council members voted to have the city manager determine how much it would cost to move City Hall to another building and compare that to staying and making repairs.
The city manager is also evaluating whether the current site could support private development. That report is due to the council no later than May, and the Finance Committee may be briefed on May 26. The full council could vote in June.
Development potential enters the conversation
Many people have floated the idea of a new arena and entertainment district downtown for the Dallas Mavericks, though no proposals exist.
Former mayors Ron Kirk, Tom Leppert, and Mike Rawlings have urged city leaders to move City Hall, saying it could attract billions in new development.
Johnson said he wants data, not instinct.
“I can’t govern the city based on a hunch or instinct or gut feel. I have to look at data. I would like to see what comes back and what they say this site could unlock,” he said. “Does my gut tell me that the best use of this part of downtown, is not to be a government center, which I think is kind of a dated concept in and of itself, to have a cluster of government buildings right in the middle of what could be the most vibrant part of your downtown that by definition closes at 5 p.m.
“My gut tells me that’s not a great idea. But I want the city manager to go through the exercise of actually exploring what private development options there would be. What interest would there be in this site? If there are really great economic development opportunities for the city that would be unlocked by us leaving this site, I would be very, very compelled by that.”
Preservationists push back strongly
Residents and preservationists have been vocal in their opposition. Former Mayor Laura Miller told CBS News Texas she doesn’t want City Hall sold or torn down and believes the process has lacked transparency and been “riddled with self‑interest.”
Johnson rejected that.
“I’m not sure why former Mayor Miller feels that way because I can tell you that the process has been the definition of transparent,” he said. “It’s just not true that this process hasn’t been transparent. You can go back to what I initially sent out, a memo. I put it in writing. I distributed it publicly, saying to the council, I want a committee to look at options for City Hall.
“So, that was very transparent. The meetings that were called subsequent to my request were all open to the public. Discussions were had at those meetings, and every single thing that has happened has been compelled by council action.”
Emails raise questions about engagement
The Dallas Morning News recently reported on 5,000 pages of emails related to the project and others, raising questions about how engaged the mayor has been.
Johnson dismissed the criticism.
“I’m fully engaged in everything that goes on around here. I’ve been fully engaged, and honestly, I’m going to decline to go quibble with the Dallas Morning News,” he said. “I don’t even know what these emails that they have found say. I do know what I do every day, which is I wake up early in the morning, come to this building, and give this city everything I have.
“I work tirelessly on behalf of the city, and I do everything I possibly can to make sure this city is represented well here, locally, nationally, internationally.”
Sports negotiations happening in parallel
The debate over City Hall comes as city leaders negotiate with the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars to keep both teams in the city. Johnson said he cannot discuss negotiations publicly.
“Keeping the Dallas Stars and keeping the Dallas Mavericks playing in the city of Dallas is one of the highest priorities of my administration, and it has been since I got here,” he said. “I can tell you this: We are going to do everything we possibly can to make these deals work for both of those teams and keep them in the city. I am confident that we will work this out.”
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The Mavericks hung around for stretches in the first half, but a Jamal Murray explosion ultimately tilted the game, as the Denver Nuggets took a 68-59 lead into halftime in a game that quickly started to feel like it was slipping away. Dallas opened with solid energy, getting contributions from multiple spots, as Naji Marshall scored efficiently and Cooper Flagg made his presence felt early as both a scorer and a playmaker, helping keep things within reach. Flagg had a noticeable impact in those opening minutes—knocking down pull-ups, attacking downhill, and creating looks for others—while Marshall’s shot-making kept the offense afloat during key stretches.
But every time the Mavericks made a push, Murray had an answer. He completely took over the second quarter, piling up 33 first-half points on 11-of-15 shooting and 6-of-9 from deep, hitting pull-ups, step-backs, and tough contested shots that Dallas simply couldn’t slow down. At the same time, Nikola Jokić quietly controlled everything else, finishing the half with 11 assists and 9 rebounds, consistently creating easy looks and keeping Denver’s offense flowing even without scoring much himself.
Dallas had some bright spots, though. There were moments especially in the third where Dallas strung together a few stops and got downhill, but it never turned into anything real, as missed shots, turnovers, and Denver’s instant responses kept resetting the margin.
If this game didn’t make it obvious, nothing will Dallas desperately needs a guard who can defend at the point of attack. Jamal Murray didn’t just have a good night, he had complete control, getting wherever he wanted and scoring however he wanted, finishing with 53 points on 19-of-28 shooting and 9-of-14 from three. There was no real resistance at the top of the defense no one who could consistently stay in front, disrupt his rhythm, or even make him uncomfortable. Once he got downhill or into his pull-up game, it was over, and that kind of pressure completely breaks a defense before it even has a chance to rotate.
This is where roster construction starts to matter. Dallas has length and some versatility in the frontcourt, but without a guard who can actually contain the ball, none of it holds up. You can’t ask your bigs to clean everything up every possession, especially against elite shot-makers. That’s why this draft becomes so important. It’s not just about adding talen it’s about adding the right kind of player. Someone who can fight over screens, stay attached, and at least make life harder for guys like Murray at the point of attack.
Because nights like this aren’t just about one player getting hot they expose a structural issue. And until Dallas finds a guard who can defend at that level, this is going to keep happening.
Someone seeds to close, eventually
The Mavericks have played a ton of close games this season, but the results just haven’t followed, and that’s something that continues to show up late in these losses. Too often, possessions in crunch time turn into rushed shots, stalled actions, or empty trips, while a single defensive breakdown on the other end swings momentum the other way. It’s not just one game it’s been a pattern, and it speaks to a team that’s still learning how to execute when everything tightens up.
That said, context matters right now. Dallas isn’t necessarily trying to squeeze out every late-game win at this point in the season, and losses like these actually help their lottery positioning. There’s value in being competitive and getting those reps without sacrificing long-term upside, especially in a strong draft class.
But long term, this is something to watch especially with Cooper Flagg. He’s already showing flashes as a primary creator, but closing games is the next step: controlling tempo, getting to the right spots, and making the right reads under pressure. It’s okay that it’s messy right now given where the team is, but if the Mavericks want to take a real step forward next season, turning these close games into wins has to be part of that growth.
Cooper Flagg continues to shine
Cooper Flagg continues to look more and more like the centerpiece of what Dallas is building, and nights like this are a big part of why. He finished with 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists, impacting the game in just about every way despite the result. What stands out isn’t just the production it’s how he’s getting it. He’s initiating offense, pushing in transition, making reads out of drives, and consistently putting pressure on the defense as both a scorer and playmaker.
This stretch has been especially encouraging. Over the past few games, Flagg has been steadily trending upward, not just in scoring, but in overall control of the game. He’s starting to look more comfortable as the primary option, picking his spots better and showing more patience when defenses collapse. Even when shots don’t fall, he’s still influencing possessions through rebounds, assists, and defensive activity.
There are still things to clean up, especially late-game execution and shot selection in tighter moments, but that’s expected at this stage. The important part is that the flashes are becoming more consistent. For a team leaning into development, Flagg isn’t just putting up numbers he’s showing real signs of growth as a lead initiator, and that’s the biggest takeaway moving forward.
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