Dallas hosted the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation Tennis Classic, pairing basketball legends with rising stars and cross-sport guests in a high-profile charity night. Cooper Flagg, Mavericks rookie forward, drew the spotlight with a coin-flip moment and a court presence that hints at a rising ceiling. Nowitzki and Steve Nash steered the doubles, while Devin Harris and Joakim Noah spiced the action, and Elvis Andrus added MLB flair from the crowd.

For fantasy managers, Flagg’s exposure suggests a potential late-season opportunity if his role grows. The event underscores the Mavericks’ culture and development-first approach, with Nowitzki’s brand helping attract talent and create depth that could matter down the stretch and in keeper leagues.

The Knicks bolstered their depth this off-season with Guerschon Yabusele, Jordan Clarkson and Malcolm Brogdon, setting a clear window to challenge in the East. Yet Mario Chalmers challenges that outlook, saying New York still lacks a dominant big who can anchor both ends and change the ceiling. Karl-Anthony Towns has grown into a more well-rounded defender for the Knicks, but the gap at the rim remains a talking point. Indiana, Boston and others shuffled, but the Cavaliers and Knicks are positioned as frontrunners in a crowded conference as a new era under a fresh Knicks identity begins shaping itself with Mike Brown at the helm.

Carmelo Anthony’s Denver chapter remains a defining cliff in his career, shadowed by a 2011 trade demand toward the Knicks and a furnace-hot era that Nikola Jokic later turned into an MVP dynasty. Denver’s No. 15 jersey switch to Jokic sealed a generational shift and closed the door on Melo’s Denver tenure, but whispers of reconciliation persist as Anthony’s Hall of Fame speech acknowledged the Mile High City’s role in his rise. The piece argues a mature, public burying of the beef could unlock a cleaner legacy for both sides and sharpen Denver’s long-term title window.

In the aftermath, Jokic’s ascent reframes Melo’s exit as a pivotal pivot rather than a pure rupture, while Denver’s playoff runs and Jokic’s MVP-era dominance underscore a franchise that values evolution. The debate centers on legacy, pride, and whether fresh, cordial optics can coexist with two of the franchise’s most consequential eras.