NBA Notes: Mavericks, Cooper Flagg, Wizards, Bilal Coulibaly, Thunder

October 27, 2026

Mavericks

Cooper Flagg’s shoulder held up just fine. So did his ability to find pretty much everybody on the floor.

After missing Saturday’s game with a sprained left shoulder, Flagg returned Monday and played 40 minutes in the Mavericks’ 113-109 win at Miami. He finished with 29 points, six rebounds, five steals, three blocks and a career-high-tying 11 assists.

That last number caught coach Dusty May’s attention. He doesn’t expect it to remain Flagg’s career high for long.

“If we get to where we’re really finding our rhythm offensively, he’s gonna have some 15, 20 assist games,” May said, per Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. “There’s no question.”

Twenty assists would be quite a night for anybody, let alone a second-year forward. But May clearly sees Flagg becoming the kind of offensive centerpiece who can control a game without having to score on every trip.

The Mavericks already knew they had a special talent. Watching him return from an injury and contribute in just about every category offered another reminder of how much they can put on his plate.

Wizards

Bilal Coulibaly didn’t get an extension before last Monday’s deadline. That doesn’t necessarily mean the Wizards are preparing to move on.

Washington and Coulibaly engaged in “11th-hour” negotiations before the deadline passed, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line⁠.

Stein and Fischer view the late discussions as an indication that the Wizards still consider Coulibaly part of their future, even though the sides couldn’t agree on a rookie scale extension.

There’s a difference between wanting to keep a player and agreeing on what that should cost. Washington’s willingness to keep talking until the deadline suggests the interest was there.

Now Coulibaly has a season to strengthen his case, while the Wizards get more time to evaluate his fit with a roster that has changed considerably.

Thunder

The Thunder’s injury report is becoming a fairly discouraging read.

Already facing lengthy absences for Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace, Oklahoma City will also be without Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso against the Mavericks on Wednesday, according to Rylan Stiles of Locked on Thunder.

Holmgren will miss his second consecutive game with patellar tendinitis in his knee. Caruso is sidelined by an ankle sprain, while Ajay Mitchell is questionable with an ankle sprain of his own.

That’s a lot of scoring, ball-handling and defense either unavailable or uncertain for one game.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can carry a considerable load. The Thunder would probably prefer to avoid finding out exactly how much he can handle this early in the season.

For coach Mark Daigneault, the immediate task is figuring out which combinations can keep Oklahoma City organized at both ends. Having a few more healthy players to choose from would certainly help.