Cooper Flagg Shut Down For Rest of Pre-Season. Mavericks Saw What They Needed to See

When the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, the NBA world erupted. Talk shows lit up. Social media caught fire. And critics called it the end of an era—and maybe the beginning of a disaster.

“You don’t trade Luka,” they said.
“You don’t give up a generational talent.”
“You’ve just waved the white flag on contention.”

But what the world didn’t understand at the time—and what became clearer this weekend—is that Dallas wasn’t giving up. They were resetting, strategically.

And now, it looks like they knew exactly what they were doing.

Saturday’s Summer League game between the Mavericks and Spurs wasn’t just another exhibition—it was a proving ground. The No. 1 overall pick, Cooper Flagg, went head-to-head with the No. 2 pick, Dylan Harper. Final score? Spurs 76, Mavericks 69.

But if you think the Mavs lost, you weren’t watching.

Flagg dropped 31 points on 10-of-21 shooting, added four rebounds, went 8-for-13 from the free throw line, and swatted away a block for good measure. He accounted for 45% of the Mavericks’ total points. He wasn’t just playing basketball—he was making a statement.

Meanwhile, Harper was solid. Sixteen points in a Spurs win. Efficient, composed, effective. But there’s a difference between good and gravity.

Flagg had gravity.

And that’s what the Mavericks were betting on when they shocked the league and shipped Luka to L.A.

Was it controversial? Absolutely. Luka is one of the most skilled offensive engines in the modern era. But after years of falling short—exhausted rosters, shallow benches, and a star doing everything—it became clear: Dallas needed more than a miracle run. They needed a real plan.

So they took a bold swing.

Anthony Davis brought them elite size, defense, and leadership—a short-term anchor while the team pivoted into a new core. And that core, as Saturday showed, starts with Cooper Flagg.

The Mavericks didn’t tank. They retooled.

They didn’t throw in the towel. They rolled up their sleeves.

And for all the chaos that came with the Luka trade, Saturday was the first real payoff.

Yes, it’s just Summer League. But you can’t fake feel. And Flagg feels different. He’s not out there trying to figure it out—he’s trying to take it. There’s a calmness to his game that you can’t teach. He already looks like a player who’s been in the league for two years, not two weeks.

He’s a teenager with an adult game.

The Spurs got their guy in Harper, and he’s going to be very good. But on this night, with every possession, Flagg looked like the face of a franchise. Not just because of the numbers, but because of how he carried himself. He didn’t flinch. He didn’t defer. He went at everyone.

The Mavericks saw what they needed to see.

And it validated everything. The Luka trade. The pivot. The gamble.

Because the hardest part of a rebuild isn’t acquiring assets—it’s trusting your eyes. Trusting that what you see in a kid at Montverde will translate under NBA lights. Trusting that you’re not just buying into hype, but into history in the making.

And for all the noise, all the hand-wringing, Saturday gave Dallas a moment of peace.

Because they saw it.

That look in Flagg’s eye. That bounce in his step. That composure in pressure.

They saw the future.

And while the Lakers might enjoy the star power of Luka and LeBron (or whoever’s still left in purple and gold), the Mavericks are building something sustainable. Something fresh. Something dangerous.

A new era has begun in Dallas.

And they’ve already won.