We are less than a week away from the start of the 2026-27 NBA season, and it has been a long time coming for Dallas Mavericks fans.
The last two seasons have been far from enjoyable, but with Kyrie Irving returning from injury, Cooper Flagg entering his second season, a new coaching staff, and a new front office, there is plenty to be excited about for the Mavericks.
With the start of the NBA season around the corner, we get something that is always fascinating to read: the annual NBA GM survey, where they answer a handful of questions about the upcoming season.
Unfortunately for Mavericks fans, there weren't many mentions of the team in this survey.
Cooper Flagg was mentioned a few times, garnering votes in the following sections: player you'd like to start a franchise with (one vote), most likely to have a breakout season (two votes), and most versatile player in the NBA (one vote).
Zaccharie Risacher received a vote for the most underrated acquisition, which was a pretty savvy move. The Mavericks were able to trade for him by giving up only a second-round pick and Ryan Nembhard, whom the Atlanta Hawks traded to the Charlotte Hornets, who then waived him.
Then, the Mavericks as a whole received one vote to be the most improved team this season. The Indiana Pacers dominated this vote, which makes sense with Tyrese Haliburton coming back from injury and the trade for Ivica Zubac.
And... that's it. There were no other mentions of the Mavericks throughout the survey.
That might not come as too much of a surprise given how bad the Mavs were last year, but I expected Cooper Flagg to receive more attention than he did.
Are People Not Taking the Mavericks Seriously?
While the Dallas Mavericks may not be a championship contender this year, they still have two of probably the 30 best players in the NBA.
That alone will make them a lot more competitive than they were a season ago.
A lot of people are keeping an eye out to see if they'll trade veterans like Kyrie Irving, Daniel Gafford, and P.J. Washington, but until that happens, we have to take them at face value.
Most sportsbooks have the Mavericks winning around 33 games, which would only be a 7-win improvement, and with how many close games they had last year, you'd think they'd be able to turn some more in their favor.
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