DALLAS — Dirk Nowitzki said Wednesday that the Dallas Mavericks have to build everything over the next couple of years around Cooper Flagg. He also said he cannot wait to see how Flagg and Kyrie Irving play off each other.
Nowitzki made the comments on Shan & RJ on 105.3 The Fan while assessing the roster president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri has put together since taking over in May. Nowitzki said Ujiri was within his rights to bring in a new general manager and coach, and that the priority from here is the 19-year-old.
“I think the goal obviously now in the next couple years has to be built around Cooper,” Nowitzki said. “I mean, he’s obviously shown in year one that he’s ready. He’s ready to take the franchise to the next level just at age 19. So anything you do now is built around Cooper.”
Flagg was named the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year after averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 70 games, all starts. Only LeBron James won the award at a younger age. Flagg was also the first rookie since Michael Jordan in 1984-85 to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. In April, he scored 51 points against Orlando. Dallas finished 26-56. Since the season ended, Flagg has opened a card shop in Maine.
Dirk Nowitzki On How Cooper Flagg And Kyrie Irving Fit
Irving has not played since tearing the ACL in his left knee on March 3, 2025, against the Sacramento Kings. He missed all of the 2025-26 season. Before the injury, he averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in 2024-25. Irving is 34. Nowitzki said the Mavericks also brought in some interesting international talent this summer.
“Kyrie’s coming back. Can’t wait to see how Kyrie and Cooper kind of play off each other,” Nowitzki explained. “The great thing with Cooper is he’s also great off the ball. He’s a great cutter. He can spot up. He can catch and go.”
“And Kyrie has shown with Luka how he can play off the ball as well and then attack when he needs to,” Nowitzki continued. “So I think that’s going to work out great. They kept some veteran pieces. So I think overall they’ve done a good job this summer.”
Irving and Luka Dončić reached the 2024 NBA Finals together. Dallas traded Dončić in February 2025.
On draft night, the Mavericks used the ninth pick on Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr.. They traded up to No. 25 for Spanish guard Sergio de Larrea, and later acquired the rights to Vsevolod Ishchenko at No. 56.
Dirk Nowitzki On Dusty May
Mavericks coach Dusty May was hired June 23 after going 64-13 in two seasons at Michigan. The Wolverines finished 34-3 last season and beat UConn 69-63 for the program’s first national title since 1989. Before that, May went 126-69 in six seasons at Florida Atlantic and reached the 2023 Final Four. In Nowitzki’s view, the rest of the picture comes together over the next few weeks and months.
“Excited to kind of learn more about the coach,” Nowitzki said. “Obviously, I don’t watch a lot of college, so I just saw he, of course, he won the championship and guys seem to like him, players seem to love him. He’s a great hoops head. He works hard, workaholic.”
“Can’t wait to really dive more into that and how his style of leadership is and what style they’re going to play,” Nowitzki added. “That’s all going to come together here, obviously, in the next few weeks and months and in the season. But overall, I think, like I said, Masai has done a lot of changes, and that’s his way of putting stuff together, what was successful for him and his other franchises, and we’ll see how it goes.”
Dallas opens the preseason Oct. 9 against Houston at The Venetian Arena in Macao as part of the NBA China Games 2026. The regular season opens Oct. 21 at Houston at 7:30 p.m. CT. San Antonio visits American Airlines Center on Oct. 24 for the home opener.
