Cooper Flagg, Kyrie Irving and new coach Dusty May lead a rebuilt Dallas Mavericks team into the 2026-27 NBA season with playoff hopes and plenty of uncertainty.

DALLAS – The Dallas Mavericks enter the 2026-27 NBA season with an entirely different identity, a new head coach, and one of basketball’s most promising young superstars.

And after last season’s disaster, that’s exactly what this franchise needs.

Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving headline a revamped Mavericks roster looking to rebound from a miserable 26-56 campaign that left Dallas 12th in the Western Conference and outside the postseason.

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Flagg enters his second NBA season as the reigning Rookie of the Year and the unquestioned centerpiece of the franchise’s future.

But the biggest development could be Irving’s return.

The nine-time All-Star missed the entire 2025-26 season while recovering from a torn ACL suffered in March 2025. Before the injury, Irving averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists.

His return gives Dallas the experienced offensive creator it desperately lacked last season.

There’s also a completely new voice on the sideline.

Former Michigan coach Dusty May takes over after winning a national championship with the Wolverines, while new basketball operations president Masai Ujiri begins reshaping the organization around Flagg.

The offseason brought significant roster changes.

Former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher arrives from Atlanta, offering another young player with considerable upside. Dallas also added Santi Aldama, Tarik Biberović and rookie Morez Johnson Jr.

Veterans P.J. Washington, Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford provide frontcourt depth, while Max Christie enters the season looking to build on a productive 2025-26 campaign.

Christie averaged 12.3 points in 77 games last season while shooting 40.4 percent from three-point range.

Still, questions remain.

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Can Irving stay healthy after such a lengthy absence? Will Flagg make the expected leap toward All-Star consideration? And can May establish a winning culture without sacrificing the development of Dallas’ younger players?

The Western Conference won’t offer many easy nights.

But the Mavericks finally have something they lacked throughout much of last season: a clear direction.

Season outlook: Dallas has enough talent to challenge for a play-in position, but reaching the playoffs will depend heavily on Irving’s health and Flagg’s development.