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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.

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With two picks in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft, the Dallas Cowboys are expected to address their glaring holes on defense. Unfortunately for them, there are many holes that need to be addressed.

One of those is the cornerback position, which is where SI’s Gilberto Manzano turns his attention when identifying the team’s “dream scenario” during the draft. Manzano paints this scenario as the Cowboys being able to draft LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane at No. 12, while also adding Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy at No. 20.

Manzano accurately claims the Cowboys won’t be able to land an EDGE such as David Bailey without trading up, so his idea is to turn the secondary into a strength.

“Instead of losing picks, team owner and GM Jerry Jones should focus on turning the secondary into a strength,” Manzano wrote.

There’s no denying such a haul would completely revamp the secondary in Dallas for years to come. The problem is that it ignores a greater need, which is a game-changer on the front seven.

Cowboys have to get a starting LB or EDGE in NFL draft

Ideally, Dallas would walk away from Round 1 with a new starter on the edge, but there’s no guarantee that will happen. Their best bet could be if Rueben Bain Jr. falls to them at No. 12, but that’s not guaranteed even with the recent news about his part in a fatal car accident.

If they’re unable to land Bain, or another starting-caliber EDGE, then Dallas needs a linebacker who can make plays all over the field. While Ohio State’s Arvell Reese seems to be out of their range, there’s still a glimmer of hope that his teammate, Sonny Styles, could be an option. Although, that might only happen via trade up as well.

Whatever they do, however, the Cowboys must find someone who can help closer to the line of scrimmage, even if the Delane-McCoy combo would be formidable.

Cowboys haven’t gone back-to-back cornerback since 2017

Dallas has no issues doubling up on cornerbacks when needed. They did so in 2021 when they took Kelvin Joseph and Nahshon Wright in consecutive rounds (although they picked Osa Odighizuwa and Chauncey Golston in between the two). They also selected Trevon Diggs and Reggie Robinson II in 2021.

To find the last time they went back-to-back on corners, however, you have to look to the 2017 class. After taking Taco Charlton in Round 1, the Cowboys selected Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis with their next two selections.

Delane and McCoy would give them a superior pairing, but it comes at great risk since the front seven would still be suspect.

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