After landing Cooper Flagg, the Dallas Mavericks seem to be in a prime position to be contenders once again. One wouldn’t imagine it would happen so soon after losing Luka Doncic. However, a core of Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Flagg is as appealing as it could get. Nico Harrison is sure of the inevitable – the Mavericks will get better in the coming seasons.

At its core is the acquisition of AD. “If you don’t value AD as an all-NBA player and all-defensive player, then you’re not going to like the trade,” Harrison said about swapping Doncic for the former Lakers center. Although marred with injury concerns, Davis’ impact is undeniable. The towering forward is a defensive animal who can contribute 25 points per game on a nightly basis.

But similar to Luka Doncic, his contract value remains a big concern. Over the next three seasons, the 32-year-old is locked in for $175 million. In his final year, Anthony Davis has a player option for $62 million. He will be 34 by that time. With Flagg’s arrival, the concerns about having an impactful four have been mitigated.

And while the Mavericks are deep, Tim Cato sees some redundancy. “I went into the summer expecting they were going to make a consolidation trade just because they got a lot of bodies. And you know, it’s never bad to have depth, but you know, a lot of the depth right now is a bit redundant. It is very stacked more towards the front court than the back court,” he revealed on the Zach Lowe Show.

Anthony Davis’ contract value is capable of fetching a high-caliber guard to pair alongside Kyrie Irving. The Mavericks would still have Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II to fill the void a hypothetical Davis trade would leave. However, the situation is far more complicated than that. The Dallas Mavericks don’t have much time to make a decision regarding AD because of the upcoming decisions that they have to make.

The Dallas Mavericks’ uncertain future

It’s hard to come to terms that the Mavericks might have to trade Anthony Davis soon. There is a good chance they might not. But the pressure is soon going to mount up. It’s not only Davis’ contract value that’s a concern. The Mavs’ future largely depends on how open the playing field is left. Cato feels that due to the lack of frontcourt depth, Dallas will look to push Cooper Flagg from the onset.

“You kind of look at who’s going to guard point of attack. Uh, you know, who is actually breaking down, creating shots, getting, you know, beating his man and getting into the into the lane. I think they’re going to ask Cooper to do a lot of that,” he commented.

It’s not only the rookies’ extended duties. But the Mavericks have a series of contracts they need to extend. Lowe is sure that PJ Washington is going to land a $20 million per year contract once he is eligible. His extension isn’t lucrative. At the same time, Dereck Lively II makes less than $6 million right now. He will soon be eligible to sign far bigger deal. 2028 will also be the time to pay Cooper Flagg.

Hence, as much as the Mavericks have a strong core, their condition isn’t OKC’s. Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis are at the back end of their primes. Flagg could be a transformational piece. But Cato believes his first year will involve a strong learning curve. Hence, the Mavericks’ window isn’t that long. Concerns have to be met with resolution swiftly. The Mavs can still get bank on their present roster to soon win a championship. It is really that good.

Yet, if there’s a chance to improve those odds, who wouldn’t want to? It was the whole reason Harrison traded Luka Doncic. Maybe the door for another similar move could be opening. What do you think? Let us know your views in the comments below.