Over a year after the Luka Dončić trade and nearly two years removed from the Dallas Mavericks' 2024 NBA Finals run, it's hard to believe that they'll be drafting in the lottery for the second time in a row with a 26-56 record. The Mavericks jumped 10 spots to land Cooper Flagg as the No. 1 overall pick in 2025, but this year, they didn't get that same luck, securing the No. 9 pick in the lottery . They fell one spot from their No. 8 projection. So the focus is now on building the young core, getting Flagg a co-star with the 2026 NBA Draft. Despite falling in the lottery, Dallas can land such a talent with this year's class running deep. But the team also has some clear needs: Franchise Guard Ryan Nembhard was a nice surprise this season, averaging 6.6 points and 5.3 assists per game, but let's be real: the Mavericks still need a franchise guard. Kyrie Irving is 34 years old, and there's no telling what they'll do with him now that Masai Ujiri is at the helm.…