The Dallas Mavericks are hoping to bounce back in 2025-26 after recently winning the draft lottery and selecting Cooper Flagg, softening the blow from the shocking Luka Doncic trade. A lot of the Mavericks' potential success rests on the health of their veteran players, including Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and Klay Thompson, who joined the team last summer.

Thompson was recently seen leaving a restaurant with his new girlfriend, rapper Megan Thee Stallion, and a fan approached him with a heartfelt message, telling him he hopes he wins another ring.

Thompson couldn't help but smile at the heartwarming greeting as he and the rapper stepped into a vehicle (via Bleacher Report on X, formerly Twitter, per amirmeetsny on Instagram).

https://x.com/BleacherReport/status/1945884923987996976

Can the Mavericks compete this year?

Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) looks on against the San Antonio Spurs in the second quarter of their game at Thomas & Mack Center.
Candice Ward-Imagn Images

It's been a roller coaster of a last six months for Mavericks fans, who saw their franchise's potential future GOAT Luka Doncic inexplicably traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in what immediately became one of the most notorious moves in sports history.

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The Mavericks then predictably went on to miss the playoffs to finish the season, with Kyrie Irving going down with an ACL injury in the process.

However, the fortunes of the franchise changed when they were afforded the opportunity to select Cooper Flagg in this year's draft, and thankfully, Nico Harrison did not find a way to mess that up (at least for now).

The Mavericks now have a highly intriguing starting five of Irving, Thompson, Flagg, Davis, and Dereck Lively II when healthy, although Irving will miss the opening portion of next season as he recovers from injury.

Still, it's about as impressive a recovery as you will see from what could have been a franchise-destroying trade last February.

The Mavericks will now hope to integrate Flagg into the NBA landscape while still allowing their veterans, including most notably Thompson and Davis, to continue to flourish even on the wrong side of 30 years old.

The Mavericks' season is slated to begin in late October.

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