Some people thought that Mark Cuban would lay low after his tweets declaring Anthony Davis an untouchable asset were nullified by the Dallas Mavericks’ trade on Wednesday. But within hours of Davis moving to Washington, Cuban was back on X, crowning the next franchise cornerstone. The former shot-caller isn’t just satisfied with adding a superstar rookie. He is promising the entire league a tactical revolution that will make his new weapon impossible to guard.

Cooper Flagg, the ROTY-favorite, continues to emerge during one of the worst phases for the Mavericks. It began with the NBA’s notorious critic, Bill Simmons, actually declaring the former Duke superstar a lethal threat. Echoing his sentiments, Cuban reposted the clip with a definitive warning.

“Wait till we get him spacing so teams can’t pack the paint,” Cuban, who’s worth $6 billion in 2026, confidently posted.

Simmons’ praise for Flagg is particularly noteworthy given how critical he has been of the Mavericks’ direction in the post-Luka Doncic era.

“He went from being a really good rookie to a f—– animal in the last 2 months,” Simmons said.

Simmons even dared to compare one of Flagg’s finishing moves down the left, off the glass, to Jayson Tatum, and said that the Boston Celtics star took nearly half a decade to perfect it, but still misses.

“This guy was supposed to be this awesome, two-way glue guy who had some offense but was just impactful all over,” Simmons said. “This guy’s an elite offensive player already.”

The league was already wary of Flagg’s elite potential before he was drafted. But seeing him rapidly develop across more than one role despite the Mavericks’ mounting injuries has been an underdog story to watch.

The Mavericks’ minority owner wasted no time setting the stakes for the league’s 29 other teams. This statement sets the tone for the post-Davis era: they are no longer trying to bridge the gap between stars but instead weaponizing their roster to maximize the 19-year-old’s “point-forward” gravity.

The Dallas Mavericks’ future gets slightly clearer after the Anthony Davis trade

Simmons used to have a hard time forecasting the Mavericks’ future after they traded Doncic for Davis, especially when Cuban was back in the aftermath of Nico Harrison’s firing, claiming Davis would not be traded.

However, Cuban’s prediction fell flat. The front office was assessing options for Davis, and two days before the trade deadline, a deal was struck. Davis, along with Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell, and Dante Exum, was sent to the Washington Wizards. The Mavericks got Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, and multiple draft picks to replenish their roster.

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Middleton’s addition is expected to optimize Flagg’s short-term potential. He is averaging 10.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists, and still has a decent shot, shooting 43.3% from the field this season. However, the 34-year-old is on an expiring contract, and there’s no certainty if he’ll remain in Dallas next season.

It is also important for the Mavericks to maximize their 2026 first-round pick in a stacked draft class. In the meantime, the Mavs can focus on giving the newly acquired players a run for the rest of the season and assess if they’d fit alongside Flagg.