Mavericks Could Be 2026 Title Favorite If Irving and Davis Healthy

Analyst Stephen A. Smith said this week that he believes the Dallas Mavericks, if healthy, should be the favorite to win the 2026 NBA championship. Speaking on a podcast with Carmelo Anthony and reiterating the view on a morning program, Smith singled out the potential returns of Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, the addition of rookie Cooper Flagg and a deeper frontcourt rotation as reasons he sees Dallas as a title contender.

"If Kyrie Irving comes back healthy and Anthony Davis is healthy, I think Dallas should be the favorite to win it all," Smith said. He acknowledged the caveat, adding that the health of Irving and Davis is "a big if."

Irving is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in March and has no confirmed timeline for a return. Davis underwent offseason surgery to repair a detached retina and has a recent history of limited availability. Those durability concerns were noted by Smith and are reflected in Dallas's early-season outlook: the team opened the 2025-26 campaign 0-2, losing to the San Antonio Spurs and the Washington Wizards and struggling to sustain offensive production without Irving in the lineup.

Smith cited several factors that underpin his forecast. He...