Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) and guard Kyrie Irving, right, sit on the bench during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall) (Scott Marshall/AP)
Cooper Flagg authored a historic rookie season with the Dallas Mavericks last season, but what steps does he need to take in Year 2? The NBA posted a short interview with Flagg and he shared three things he's been working on during his first full NBA offseason. "Obviously my ball-handling, shot creation, obviously shooting is up there too," Flagg said. One big difference for Flagg heading into his second season is the presence of future Hall of Fame guard Kyrie Irving. Irving tore his ACL during the 2024-25 season and, since it happened fairly late in that campaign, wound up missing Flagg's whole rookie season, too. There were discussions Irving could return for the stretch run, but with the Mavericks bottoming out last season, the team elected to shut Irving down and make sure he's fully healthy and ready to go for this season. Flagg didn't shy away from his excitement about finally getting to share the floor with the nine-time All-Star. In fact, they've spent time working out together this summer. "Been able to get in the gym with Kyrie this offseason, you know he's back healthy," Flagg said. "Kyrie is obviously one of the greats, so just to be able to share the floor with him and learn from him on the fly and be able to go out there and compete, it's going to be a lot of fun." Flagg will have lofty expectations after such a successful rookie season. He averaged 21 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists, was named the NBA Rookie of the Year and established himself as one of the best players in the league. "I'm excited, obviously my first year under my belt and I'm excited to get back to playing games and prove a lot," the 20-year-old star explained. "Excited for what we can do and continue to get better." He'll get his first chance to prove he has taken a second-year leap on Oct. 21 against the Rockets in the Mavs' season opener. Subscribe Sign up for the Morning Roundup, a free newsletter delivering the latest North Texas news each morning. This article originally published at Mavericks' Cooper Flagg reveals his offseason improvements, how he fits with Kyrie Irving.