Dallas Mavericks will employ Damian Lillard strategy with young star, they are hoping for a trade

After the Mavericks won the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, they picked Cooper Flagg, adding another generational star to their roster.

Following that, the Mavericks re-signed Kyrie Irving for $119 million, securing the All-Star point guard’s future for the next three years.

And now, as the Mavericks attempt to re-sign Daniel Gafford for $90 million, they may be forced to make a tough decision.

Dallas Mavericks could possibly waive-and-stretch Olivier Maxence-Prosper

According to NBA insider Ary on X, the Dallas Mavericks are trying desperately to trade Olivier Maxence-Prosper to make cap space.

But if no such trade materializes, the Mavericks will waive-and-stretch Olivier Maxence-Prosper’s remaining $3 million salary.

“If no trade materializes for Olivier Maxence-Prosper by tomorrow, the Mavericks are expected to waive and stretch the forward, sources tell me. The deadline to waive and stretch contracts is tomorrow, 4:00 PM CT.”

This would be a similar strategy to the one that the Milwaukee Bucks used to waive Damian Lillard. While Maxence-Prosper does have a $5.2 million team option in 2026, the Mavericks aren’t obligated to pay that in this approach.

Dallas Mavericks looking to compete for an NBA championship next season

The Dallas Mavericks’ successful re-signing of Daniel Gafford would put the finishing touch on their roster for the 2025-26 NBA season.

It’s hard to look at their roster and dismiss them as potential title contenders. The health of Kyrie Irving is a bit of a roadblock, but the point guard is expected to return to the team mid-way through the season.

When Irving returns, he will join Anthony Davis and Cooper Flagg to form what would be a dominant trio in the NBA.

If this trio gels well together, the Mavericks could cause some serious problems for other teams in the Western Conference.