The Luka Dončić trade can never get erased, but the Mavericks have turned a corner less than two years later.

It all started when the Ping-Pong balls fell Dallas’ way in the 2025 draft lottery, which gave the franchise the right to select Cooper Flagg with the top pick of the draft. The coveted prospect out of Duke had a great first season which led to Rookie of the Year honors, but the Mavs cratered with a 26–56 record without superstar guard Kyrie Irving who missed the season as he recovered from a torn ACL.

Anthony Davis, the centerpiece of the Dončić trade, played just 20 games with Dallas last season before he was dealt to Washington at the trade deadline. With general manager Nico Harrison out by that point, the ghosts of the most shocking trade in NBA history were gone.

This was Flagg’s team, but Irving’s presence was a looming question. The two are on completely separate timelines. Maybe Dallas would benefit from trading Irving in favor of future assets that better fit the Flagg timeline. However, the new front office led by Masai Ujiri decided not to trade the star point guard.

The Mavs’ stance signified they wanted to see how a Flagg-Irving pairing would look on the court. If the wheels fall off, Irving could always get sent elsewhere at the deadline. Throw that all out the window, though, because the two are electric next to each other.

On Monday, Flagg and Irving combined for 78 points in a 125–122 Mavericks win over the Pacers. Flagg had 43 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and three steals on a night where he went 16-of-25 from the field and 3-for-6 from three-point range. Irving added 35 as he was on fire with seven three-pointers in 10 tries. It’s the third-straight victory for Dallas as the Mavs are off to a 7–4 start.

Indiana remains without Tyrese Haliburton and is in the midst of a dreadful start to the season, but this was a signature win for Flagg and Irving in front of their home fans. Up two points with under a minute left, Naji Marshall rebounded his own missed free throw and the ball ended up in Flagg’s hands. He took Andrew Nembhard to school and nailed a clutch midrange jumper to increase the lead to two possessions with just 26.3 seconds left.

COOPER FLAGG'S UP TO 43 POINTS!

GREAT HUSTLE BY NAJI MARSHALL 👏

MAVS LEAD BY 3 WITH 4.0 SECONDS TO PLAY. pic.twitter.com/CmTd0cW4oX

— NBA (@NBA) November 10, 2026

Aaron Nesmith made a clutch three for the Pacers on the other end, then Irving evaded defensive pressure to get fouled and head to the line where he made both foul shots. Nesmith had a chance to tie the game, but his trey rimmed out and Dallas emerged with a huge win on the second night of a back-to-back.

Flagg & Kyrie vs Indiana.

Flagg: 43 PTS | 10 REB | 6 AST | 3 STL | 75 TS%
Kyrie: 35 PTS | 4 AST | 11/18 FG | 7 3PT | 83 TS% pic.twitter.com/t5wPo7v0vf

— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) November 10, 2026

“Just the confidence,” Flagg said postgame when asked how his game has evolved. “Being comfortable getting to my spots. Learning from someone like Kyrie can teach you a lot. So just watching his execution at the end of games has helped me get comfortable getting to my spots.”

Irving and Flagg possess vastly different player archetypes, but both are dynamic with the ability to take over games and create shots for themselves and others. The team’s decision to keep Irving around has done wonders for its young star. The complementary nature of their respective play has led to wins early on, too, which could make Dallas the surprise playoff team this year.

How have Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving worked so well together?

Thus far, Flagg is averaging 25.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 3.0 stocks (steals plus blocks) per game. Irving is at 22.9 points and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 39.5% from three on over eight attempts a night. Together, that’s 48.8 points and 11.2 assists each game out of the pair. Only a handful of duos are rivaling that output across the league right now: Dončić and Austin Reaves (Lakers), Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown (76ers) and Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray (Nuggets).

As a product of Flagg and Irving’s heater, the Mavericks are in the top half of the NBA on both sides of the ball. Flagg is a force with his length and athleticism and Irving has been a good perimeter defender on top of everything he does on offense. Early in Flagg’s second NBA season, he’s grown in every aspect of his game. He’s scoring more, making more plays and making a greater impact on defense. Maybe the in-game peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are working.

What’s been most impactful for Flagg, though, is undoubtedly Irving’s presence. His gravity opens up driving lanes for the young star and the superior three-point shooting brings more room for Flagg to operate. Flagg didn’t have that last year outside of the few games he played alongside Davis and Irving’s game is much more complementary. He’s brought the best out of numerous superstars in the past and Flagg is only the latest.

The Mavs aren’t perfect. They need some better shooting as a collective unit and Flagg’s distance shooting is still a work in progress. Max Christie and Zaccharie Risacher could give more and the roster is a bit clunky with a surplus of wings. However, Irving’s return from injury has done wonders for Flagg. The duo is already one of the NBA’s best and it could bring the Mavs back to the playoffs after a brief, but grueling hiatus.

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