Dallas will be taking on the San Antonio Spurs for the third year in a row, and this one comes with some fascinating storylines. There's the obvious about Cooper Flagg making his NBA regular-season debut. He passed the tests in the Summer League and the preseason, but it'll be an entirely different animal in the regular season.

There’s a chance Flagg could start at point guard, just as he did in the final two games of the preseason. Mavericks coach Jason Kidd admitted that he knew who his starting lineup would be for Wednesday, but held his cards close to his chest and wouldn’t reveal the first unit.

NBA award predictions 2025-26: Nikola Jokic MVP, Victor Wembanyama DPOY, Cooper Flagg for ROTY, and more originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Will Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg be the first Duke University alum to win an NBA player of the year award?

NBA debutants will have their first games commemorated with a patch -- one that will be removed and placed on one-of-a-kind autographed trading cards following use.

NBA veteran Klay Thompson outlined clear expectations for Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg before the 2025-26 season.

Flagg is competitive to a fault, but he’s sacrificed personal success for the sake of his teams many times growing up.

"Cooper Flagg's basic production (11.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocks) from this preseason doesn't leap off the screen, but several individual plays certainly have," Bailey wrote.

With the Cowboys showing trade interest in Raiders star Maxx Crosby, his tribute to Cooper Flagg has now gone viral.