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How have Cooper Flagg's training sessions gone this summer? MacKenzie (Flagg trainer): "This past week was great. It's always nice to visit Durham and be able to see everybody at Duke where he went to school. He spent the entire summer going to different spots around the country. He spent a week in Maine. He spent a few weeks in LA. He spent a lot of time in Dallas with getting acclimated to the new coaching staff and some of his future teammates. He's learning a little bit about what they're all about. So it's been a really good offseason. But it's always fun when we can go back to Durham and be at Duke. It's such a special place. It's been a great week of training. The energy in the gym has been fantastic. Cooper is looking really good physically and mentally. His overall game has really continued to improve. He's able to refine some little things over the course of the last several months. So I'm really excited for what's to come in year two."
The basic "homework" task was to completely repair all injuries, and then complete physical training. Anže Maček , now Luka's long-time personal trainer, who also supports him in the USA, first in Dallas and then in Los Angeles, had the main say again. The first star of the LA Lakers has not been so physically prepared for a long time. His weight is also within the desired range, unofficially even at 105 kilograms. But the real test of the solidity of the laid foundations will be the coming weeks and months. Dončić, who has now increasingly turned over the direction of his life to his agent Lara Beth , is expected to remain in Europe until September 20. He will then move to Los Angeles. The LA Lakers will officially start preparations for the 2026/27 season on September 29, with a traditional media day organized the day before.
I'm told Dallas made a recent unsuccessful run at trying to hire Amber Nichols away from the Wizards for their overhauled front office. As HoopsHype’s Mike Scotto reported Monday, Washington has promoted Nichols from director of amateur evaluation to vice president of basketball operations and personnel. She previously served as general manager of the Wizards' Capital City Go-Go G League affiliate.
Fullcourtpass: Donald Trump — at a speech at the Mavericks’ American Airlines Center — spoke on them trading Luka Doncic “I don’t understand the trade… It’s not going to go down as the greatest trade in the history of sports. It might go down as the worst trade in the history of sports.”
Marc Stein: I’m told that the Rockets — who just agreed with Amen Thompson on a monster rookie scale extension — will hold Media Day on Sept. 22. The earliest date that Houston and Dallas can practice is Sept. 23. For all other NBA teams: Media Day is Sept. 28; first practice is Sept. 29.
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Myles Turner has pledged $1 million to Empowering the Masses, a Dallas nonprofit that works on food insecurity, through his W.A.R.M. foundation. The pledge was announced Aug. 27. It is structured as a conditional distribution of $100,000 a year over the next 10 years. Turner was born in Bedford and played high school basketball at Trinity in Euless. “The DFW Metroplex has always been home for me,” Turner said in the announcement. “The opportunities these communities have provided me were integral to my success over the years. So giving back to the Metroplex that shaped me is something I take seriously.”
Klay Thompson: "Miami was always on my mind. My agent and I approached Dallas with the buyout because things change a lot when I signed there in 2024. They were great in honoring our request and understanding that those things did happen and that I'm on the back end of things. They understood I wanted a chance to really make a deep postseason run. I'm not saying they won't do that, but I think just Miami was way better position for that. It wasn't too stressful though. I knew I always had a chance to end up here and I'm just happy it all worked out."
Heat Central: Klay Thompson says Miami was always on his mind when getting bought of by the Mavericks: “Miami was always on my mind…. They (Dallas) understood that I really wanted a chance to make a deep postseason run. Not saying they won’t do that but I think Miami was way better positioned for that. I knew I always had a chance of ending up here. I can’t wait to put on Heat gear and get to work. What a great opportunity especially at this point in my career to play with so much greatness around me” (Via @Brendan_Tobin)
Timberwolves lead roster decison-maker Tim Connelly is said to have a strong relationship with Stad. This figures to be key given that Connelly — after Dallas ultimately conceded in the spring that it would not be granted permission to pursue Connelly for its front office vacancy as the Mavericks had initially hoped — is entering the final year of his current contract in 2026-27 and needs a new deal.
Marc Stein: With Phil Handy now bound for Philly, per @MarcJSpears below, that means Dusty May’s first coaching staff in Dallas will be entirely new. Handy and Josh Broghamer (who recently left Dallas for Orlando) were the only holdovers left from Jason Kidd’s staff.
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Marc Stein: The belief in Dallas, I'm told, is Santi Aldama will be ready for training camp when practices start (Sept. 23-ish). Aldama had mid-March knee surgery. The Mavs and Rockets are able to hold practices before the leaguewide Sept. 29 start because they play preseason games abroad.
Marc Stein: The new NBA schedule calls for Luka Dončić to make his lone Dallas visit of the season on his birthday: Feb. 28. The now-Masai Ujiri-led Mavericks make their lone Toronto visit Jan. 27. Dallas' home opener is Oct. 24 against San Antonio after road dates in Houston and Indiana.
Marc Stein: The Nelson Family has also announced that there will be a Celebration of Life in tribute to Don Nelson on Thursday (Aug.13) at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church in Dallas. An ashes ceremony in Maui for friends and family will be confirmed at a future date.
Marc Stein: The Magic are hiring Josh Broghamer away from Dallas to add him to Sean Sweeney’s first coaching staff in Orlando, @TheSteinLine has learned. Broghamer was Cooper Flagg’s summer league coach in July 2025 and ran Flagg’s pregame workouts last season as part of Jason Kidd’s staff.