Cooper Flagg is indeed ]

With the emergence of Flagg, there are now no more excuses to hang on to the above trio. In fact, it’d be irresponsible to do so, as that would just waste everyone’s time. 

Of course, pivoting off that trio is easier said than done. 

While we aren’t sure if Irving will ever return as the star he once was, he at least plays as an on-/off-ball combo to such an extent that teams close to a title will likely bring his name up in internal meetings as the Feb. 5 trade deadline approaches. But as far as trade value goes, the Mavericks can’t justify a high price given Irving’s ACL tear and the fact he turns 34 in March. 

Thompson doesn’t have much trade value, as he’s about to turn 36 and manages just 11.7 points per game while struggling defensively. His best days are clearly behind him, and even if his financial compensation ($16.6 million this season, and $17.4 million next) is fairly modest, you can easily make the case that he’ll get targeted defensively in the postseason, without adding enough juice offensively to justify such an acquisition. 

As for Davis, well, I covered that in detail recently. The TL;DR version is this: Old, expensive and often injured aren’t attractive elements. 

Yet, despite all of the above, the Mavs simply shouldn’t care about the return, as long as they don’t take on future money. If, by some miracle, they get offered expiring contracts for Davis, they should take it and run, as to better reset in the summer. If someone offers more, you act cool and don’t call them back to confirm the legitimacy of the offer. (You got away with one there, Atlanta.) 

[Get more Mavericks news: Dallas team feed]

While Irving isn’t as frequently injured as Davis, nor as expensive, you have to wonder if he’s got enough value to ask for pick compensation. That should be the initial ask for Dallas, of course, but if offers come in that are limited to deals that expire, you at least gauge them. Extracting some kind of value for Irving, such as a young player early in his rookie contract, could also help seal the deal. 

As for Thompson, there isn’t a rush. But if you can get something for him that includes a second-round selection, you grab that as well. 

What should Dallas be looking for? 

If the idea is gathering cap space for Davis, Irving and Thompson — which it should be — it provides the Mavericks with the ability to design their own supporting cast. 

Want to lean into shooting? Sign the best spot-up players who can play off Flagg and space the floor for him. Want to build a mean defensive frontline? Acquire a nasty trio of big men who can all board, defend and switch on the perimeter. 

Because however the Mavericks slice it, their new focus is Flagg, and every major, as well as minor, roster decision has to be with him in mind. 

They could also put forth an enormous effort in identifying Flagg’s primary co-star, although that’s highly unlikely to be found in free agency, which has become almost dormant of true stars in recent years. More than likely, that player will need to be acquired through trade. But that too grows significantly easier when Dallas has oodles of cap space at their disposal. 

Of course, the observed mind will accurately ponder, “What about draft picks?” — which is absolutely a fair question given that Flagg is just 19 and will need players closer to his timeline. 

This year’s pick, their 2026 first-rounder, will have to be one of Dallas’ primary building blocks. The Mavericks have full control of it, and the 2026 class is loaded. They have every single reason to be as bad as humanly possible to get a star this summer who is cost controlled and fits the aforementioned timeline. 

As the Mavericks don’t have much control of their future, in terms of draft equity, this year is — by far — their most important in terms of identifying another major piece to their forthcoming puzzle. 

This is all to say they can’t waste time. There is no reason to stay with the older core. If members of it are still on the roster as the Mavericks enter 2026-27, that would be a mistake. 

Houston Astros stars Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa will both miss the World Baseball Classic due to insurance issues.

Correa told The Athletic’s Chandler Rome on Tuesday that, after speaking with Astros owner Jim Crane, he won’t play for Puerto Rico in the upcoming tournament. Because of his injury history, Correa was unable to receive insurance on his contract with the team. As a result, he would risk forfeiting his regular-season salary if he missed any Astros games due to injuries suffered during the World Baseball Classic.

Correa has dealt with several injuries in recent seasons, including a sprained ankle, back tightness and a concussion last year alone. He is set to make $31 million next season with Houston.

“I’m definitely upset because I’ve been preparing really hard this offseason to get better this year and be ready early so I can be ready for the WBC,” Correa told The Athletic. “I also understand the business side of things and that’s too big of a risk to take, to play with no insurance.”

Correa, who was dealt to the Astros ahead of the trade deadline last season, recorded a .290 batting average with six home runs and 21 RBI in 51 games with Houston.

“Jim called me and told me that he wants me to focus on the team and spring training, obviously he traded for me to win a championship here and we had too many injuries as a team [in 2025],” Correa said, via The Athletic.

[Get more Astros news: Houston teem feed]

Altuve is in a similar situation. The Astros’ second baseman won’t play for Venezuela in the tournament “at the request” of the Astros due to his lack of insurance.

Altuve, who has spent his entire career with the Astros, had a .265 batting average with 26 home runs and 77 RBI last season, his 15th in the league. The 35-year-old is set to make $33 million next season, the second of a five-year, $125 million deal.

Altuve had a procedure on his right foot in November but is expected to be ready for spring training. The Astros went 87-75 last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 campaign.

The insurer for World Baseball Classic players is agreed upon by Major League Baseball and the players’ union ahead of time. The issue is similar to what happened with Clayton Kershaw and Miguel Cabrera ahead of the 2023 tournament, when the pair didn’t qualify for insurance due to their injury histories. 

Kershaw ended up not participating in the event after he was deemed uninsurable. Cabrera still participated despite not securing insurance, likely due to the Detroit Tigers choosing to guarantee his deal regardless.

The early rounds of the World Baseball Classic, which runs March 5-17, will take place in Tokyo, Miami, Houston and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The semifinals and championship game will be played in Miami.