MAVS NEWS:

[mvossman]

I'd argue that Dallas' situation is a little different:

1. Most top draft picks go to bad teams.  Dallas is actually a pretty good team, with no bad contracts, so the time required to build a championship-caliber team can be very short. See Spurs, San Antonio.

2. In the past, the opportunity to go way over the cap allowed teams to build rosters with well-paid superstars.  So much so, that the goal of much roster-building was to acquire a "big three".  Now, teams seem to target a "big two" with a bunch of really solid mid-priced players.  Or better yet, a couple of superstars on rookie contracts.

Just for grins, I asked Gemini how many of the NBA champions over the past ten years had significantly underpaid stars.  Here's the reply:

Out of those 11 championship teams spanning 2016 to 2026, [b]five teams[/b] capitalized heavily on having star players playing on incredibly cheap or discounted contracts relative to their value.
In the modern NBA, "cheap" contracts for stars usually fall into two categories: [b]rookie-scale deals[/b] before a young player gets paid, or [b]unprecedented discounts/underpriced extensions[/b] signed right before a massive spike in the salary cap. [1]
The breakdown of the five champions that fits this description includes:

Champion Year
Team
Star Player(s)
Why the Contract Was "Cheap"
[b]2016[/b]
Golden State Warriors
[b]Stephen Curry[/b]
He was playing on a [b]4-year, $44 million extension[/b] signed in 2012 when there were major concerns about his ankles. He won two MVPs making roughly $11.3 million a year, which was only the 5th highest salary on his own team.
[b]2019[/b]
Toronto Raptors
[b]Pascal Siakam[/b]
While Kawhi Leonard was the primary superstar, Siakam emerged as a legitimate co-star and won Most Improved Player. Because he was drafted 27th overall, he won the 2019 championship while making just [b]$1.54 million[/b] on his rookie contract.
[b]2022[/b]
Golden State Warriors
[b]Jordan Poole[/b]
Similar to Toronto, Poole served as a vital, dynamic scoring engine next to Steph Curry during their 2022 run. He averaged 18.5 points per game in the postseason while counting for just [b]$2.16 million[/b] on his rookie deal.
[b]2025[/b]
Oklahoma City Thunder
[b]Chet Holmgren & Jalen Williams[/b]
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the MVP-level anchor, but the Thunder secured the 2025 title because their two young co-stars, Holmgren and Williams, provided All-Star level production while still on their rookie-scale contracts.
[b]2026[/b]
New York Knicks
[b]Jalen Brunson[/b]
In one of the most famous financial sacrifices in NBA history, Brunson signed a 4-year, $156.5 million extension in 2024. By doing so, he left [b]$113 million on the table[/b] compared to what he could have made in 2025 free agency. That massive discount allowed the Knicks to trade for and afford the championship roster around him.

Not one of those examples involve a superstar on their first contract, so I'm not sure what the point is?

What is the argument for Mavs being a good team prior to Flagg?  They were a lottery team when Flagg was drafted and shortly after traded away one of the two best players for air.  This team would definitely be a lottery team without Flagg.  There is a lot of work to be done.