Are the Mavs really this bad? Are the Spurs and Lakers really this good? League insiders weigh in.
There also weren't many people believing Harrison should have remained as Mavs general manager as Dallas saw its ugly end to last season carry over into this one, including "Fire Nico!" chants ringing out at home during Mavericks free throws in a one possession game Monday night against the So, in that spirit, we decided to ask league executives and scouts whether they're believing in some of the most impactful early-season trends across the NBA , beginning with the crater that is the Mavericks franchise before moving on to hot starts for the Lakers andIn conversations with sources around the NBA this week in the wake of Harrison's firing, there is a near universal belief that the Mavericks cannot remain as bad as their 3-9 record and minus-6.
5 point differential suggests. Does that mean league insiders are projecting a playoff run?"I still think they could be good if everyone is healthy," a Western Conference executive told ESPN. "But you can't bet on that.", the one proven point guard on the active roster, has been completely marginalized by coach Jason Kidd in favor of"Until they have a feasible point guard, they're going to flounder," a West scout said. With the Mavericks being the biggest topic around the league this week, the discussion quickly shifted to the question looming over whomever is tapped to replace Harrison as the lead executive: What does the future hold for Davis and Irving less than three months until the February trade deadline? The belief, from sources I spoke to, is that the Mavs moving on from at least Davis, if not both stars, was the optimal strategy. Those moves would help maximize the 2026 first-round pick in"Absolutely," an Eastern Conference executive said when asked whether trading the two veteran stars was the right path for Dallas.trade Davis -- there seems to be a consensus that it is probably the correct strategy despite being another painful development to sell to the fan base. A team built around Irving and Davis has teeth, and it's not unreasonable to want to at least see the full roster in action; with Irving's rehab going well, it should be on the table."I just looked it up so I could say this to my owner if he asks me about it, AD is turning 33 in March and he's going to be in position next summer where he'll probably want a contract extension that would cost $70 million per year when he'd be 37," one general manager said. "He's a great player, full stop. But when you consider a player at his age with his injury history, you'd also be trading for the stress of that extension. That plays into it." Referencing Davis' injury history is tiresome. When he's healthy, he's a playoff series-changing player at both ends of the court. The Lakers' acquisition of him in 2019 ahead of their title run in the bubble changed the balance of power in the league. If the Mavericks come to the conclusion they need to readjust their timeline around Flagg -- for now that is an if despite what the strategy wings of opposing front offices might forecast -- there is the potential he could change the balance of power once again. But the takeaway from conversations this week is whether Dallas will be able to get the kind of offers that make trading him a no-brainer. "There's one thing I can say with absolute certainty," a veteran executive said. "If Dallas decides to trade AD, they won't get the same return the Lakers got for him."One underappreciated aspect of moving on from Davis and Irving, however, is to get Dallas out of the luxury tax. The Mavericks owe about $32 million in taxes with their current roster, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks, and are about $16 million over the luxury tax threshold this season. For a team headed nowhere, it's extremely hard to justify those expenses. Moving on from their two stars by the deadline would allow Dallas to potentially duck the tax, reset its timeline and acquire future picks and players to restock an older roster with youth alongside their rookie sensation.The Magic have won five of the past seven games with their offense on a heater, ranking in the top 10 in the league in that window. was met with a more universal and immediate reaction: Less than a month into the season, the outlook is dim for the Clippers.Losing Beal for the season didn't help matters, but that is far from the only problem plaguing the franchise. "Unless you can show me where the fountain of youth is, I don't see ," a West scout said. "And the Leonard situation seems to be worsening. Team president Lawrence Frank revealed on Wednesday that Leonard hasn't just been out with an ankle sprain but also a "significant" foot sprain and inflammation. A lot of the excitement around the Clippers coming into the season was an outgrowth of how healthy Leonard looked at the end of last season and in training camp. Unfortunately, Leonard is already dealing with an extended absence, and the Clippers are sinking without him. The Clippers now leave on a seven-game road trip. The only question that received a more definitive answer than the Clippers' outlook? The Thunder's. It comes on the heels of OKC demolishing the Warriors and Lakers on back-to-back nights this week while missing, among others,goal is a bit too lofty, but can the Thunder, after winning 68 last season en route to the title, become the third team in NBA history to reach 70 wins?The former point sparked the biggest conversation among league insiders. There's little doubt the Thunder, who are outscoring teams by what would be a record-shattering point differential of plus-15.6 points per 100 possessions, are capable of joining the 1995-96 What's unclear is whether they'll truly pursue that mark if it comes within striking distance late in the season.The Thunder are 80-15 since the start of the 2024-25 season. That's an 84% winning percentage. To win 70 games in the NBA, you need to win 85% of your games. Beyond this little math lesson, the point is this: The Thunder have been playing like a 70-win team for a long time. "They have the depth that they could win 70 games even if they don't want to," an East scout said. "Their second stringers would start in most places. Their third stringers would be in the rotation most places." Wednesday night after slaying the Lakers, All-NBA wing Jalen Williams poked his head into ESPN's Malika Andrews' walk-off interview withand jokingly reminded everyone that he was still in the NBA since he hasn't yet been on the court this season.Flagg -- the massive preseason favorite to win the award -- is off to what is actually a strong start to his rookie campaign amid the misery surrounding the Mavericks. He's in the top five among all rookies in scoring, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, all while not even turning 19 for another few weeks and playing out of position at point guard on a clunky roster. That's why one East executive shot down the notion this race is wide open. "Cooper will win it going away. This class is great, but Cooper will show who he is as the season goes on," they said. That, however, was the minority opinion when talking with league insiders. The wider belief is while the faith in Flagg hasn't diminished, some of the"Cooper has been good, but both the team and he have struggled more than expected," a West scout said. "And, on top of that, it's a loaded class."Knueppel has definitely entered the race after a very strong start. He's shooting almost 40% on 3s and has immediately shown he's a cornerstone in Charlotte even as the Hornets sink amid another ankle injury for star guard But historically, players who are in Flagg's situation -- a No. 1 pick at the centerpiece of his team -- have a great chance to win. Most top awards are based on team performance, but that isn't always the case with Rookie of the Year. There is an expectation that the best rookies are often on bad teams, even if the Dallas situation was not seen that way to start the season. The other contenders mostly still play a role, which is natural as a rookie, even if they are excelling in their role such as Coward has in Memphis. Flagg will have his hands on the ball on almost every possession, and he's going to rack up defensive numbers and highlights. "If Flagg stays healthy, he should win it because he's the best player with the biggest responsibilities," a West executive said.
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