10 Dallas Mavericks storylines you might’ve missed before opening night

Two days out from tipoff, the wind is shifting again in North Texas, but this year it’s not blowing in Luka Doncic’s direction. 

The Mavericks are entering their first full season without their former superstar, who was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in February in a move that reshaped the NBA’s balance of power.

Now, with Luka in purple and gold and Dallas recalibrating around Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, the Mavericks are trying to prove they’re still contenders — just built differently.

Here are the storylines you might’ve missed while waiting for the new era to begin.

Jason Kidd’s extension locked in

After drawing interest from multiple big-market franchises, Jason Kidd is staying put in Dallas.

The Dallas Mavericks head coach signed a multi-year contract extension, the team announced Tuesday, reaffirming the organization’s long-term commitment to Kidd after a period of speculation surrounding his future. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

DLLS insider Marc Stein first reported the extension.

Kidd, 52, led Dallas to the NBA Finals in 2024 and has become one of the league’s most sought-after coaches. The Los Angeles Lakers expressed interest in interviewing him for their head coaching vacancy during the Mavericks deep playoff run in 2024 before ultimately hiring former player JJ Redick. The Mavericks denied a request from the New York Knicks to interview Kidd over the summer. The Knicks went on to hire Mike Brown.

Dereck Lively II’s option picked up

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have exercised their fourth-year team option on center Dereck Lively II for the 2026-27 season, the team announced.

The Duke product was originally selected by Oklahoma City as the 12th overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, before having his draft rights traded to Dallas.

Lively earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors after his first year, and was named to the 2024 NBA Rising Stars Game. He set the highest single-season field goal percentage by a Maverick (min. 200 FG attempts) after shooting 74.7% from the field in his debut season.

A new coaching brain trust

The Mavericks overhauled their bench staff. Frank Vogel joined as associate head coach, bringing championship pedigree. Jay Triano, Popeye Jones, Phil Handy, Mike Penberthy, Dru Anthrop and Jordan Sears round out the new assistants. Jared Dudley and God Shammgod are gone, but Dallas is betting on experience.

Vogel, who coached the Los Angeles Lakers to an NBA championship in 2020 when Kidd was one of his assistant coaches, was a consultant for the Mavericks last season. 

Triano  has coached 308 combined games as a head coach with the Toronto Raptors and Phoenix Suns. 

Ronald Jerome “Popeye” Jones returns to the Mavericks after most recently serving as an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets (2021-25), where he was a member of the franchise’s 2023 NBA championship team. 

The Kyrie watch: No timeline, no problem?

Kyrie Irving is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in March. He says he’s “on schedule,” but did not offer a timetable. Jason Kidd shut down speculation after video of Kyrie shooting circulated online: “He’s not ahead of schedule. Let’s not say that.”

Lively might’ve grown 

When asked by ALLCITY’s Tim Cato if he grew this summer, Lively didn’t hesitate: “I believe so.” He’s waiting on official measurement but thinks he’s now 7-foot-2 or 7-foot-3. The Mavericks may have unintentionally added a few more inches of rim protection.

Anthony Davis is wearing goggles now

Davis has recovered from surgery he underwent in July to repair a detached retina. However, his doctor has mandated he wear protective eyewear for “the rest of his career” following this surgery, which Davis admitted he was not particularly excited about. 

Davis, previously, had been resistant against wearing them despite numerous injuries over the years. Davis also acknowledged his repaired eye does still show redness, a byproduct of medical eye drops he continues to take as part of his post-op procedure.

D’Angelo Russell arrives

Russell and the Dallas Mavericks agreed to a two-year deal worth $12 million in June.

Russell’s deal, for which Dallas used the taxpayer mid-level exception, includes a player option in the second season. He has been signed with the clear purpose of filling in for Kyrie Irving.

Draft Night: A franchise shift

The Dallas Mavericks selected Cooper Flagg with the 2025 NBA Draft’s No. 1 pick. 

The former Duke forward will start for the Mavericks on opening night.

While the team did not have any other picks they signed multiple major undrafted free agents to add to their already phenomenal rookie class.

The Mavericks signed former Gonzaga point guard Ryan Nembhard, Memphis center Moussa Cisse and Auburn combo guard Miles Kelly to two-way undrafted free agent contracts. They also signed two other undrafted free agents but these are the team’s three two-way slots entering the season.

Core extensions secured

Dallas locked in its core. Kyrie Irving signed a three-year, $119 million extension. Daniel Gafford agreed to three years, $54 million. PJ Washington added four years, $90 million. Irving and Davis are now aligned contractually, anchoring this title window.

Major shakeup in the training room

General manager Nico Harrison dismissed head athletic trainer Dionne Calhoun and performance director Keith Belton in May. Belton had been hired just last season after longtime trainer Casey Smith was let go. It’s a clear sign: player health is under a new undisclosed brass.