What happened: Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg have spent the offseason sharing workouts and pickup runs, giving Dallas an early base for its most important new pairing. Flagg's trainer Matt MacKenzie said Irving wants to help Flagg take the next step, adding a mentorship layer to the on-court fit.

Why it matters: Dallas has spent the summer insisting Irving is unavailable in trade talks, so the club's 2026-27 ceiling hinges in part on how fast he and Flagg can function together. If that read-and-react partnership translates from open-gym reps to structured offense, the Mavericks gain two primary creators who can pressure defenses without living in one set alignment.

What to watch: Training camp and preseason lineups will show how much of that offseason chemistry survives against full scouting and fixed rotations. Irving's workload next to Flagg should be one of Dallas' clearest tells when the Mavericks start building their October rotation.