As the basketball world expected, the Dallas Mavericks drafted Cooper Flagg as the first overall pick in Wednesday’s NBA Draft for the 2025-26 season. Flagg becomes the second youngest player to be drafted, only behind one of his icons, LeBron James. The NBA fans and pundits were stunned when the Dallas Mavericks won the first overall pick in this year’s draft. Some even went so far as to speculate about conspiracies surrounding the draft. Regardless of all that, the Mavs now have a player who could become the face of the NBA, some say he already is.
Cooper Flagg comes into the NBA with high expectations on his shoulders
Many struggled to believe that the Mavs somehow managed to get the number one overall pick despite having 1.8% odds to land the top selection. The Mavs seem to have lady luck on their side as they bagged Cooper Flagg faster than a cowboy hogties a calf at a rodeo in Texas. The 6-foot-8, 221-pound 18-year-old reclassified to graduate from high school and enter college a year earlier so he could expedite his entrance into the NBA.
Duke University is a prime developer of NBA-caliber players for the future
Duke University has a reputation for producing future Hall-of-Famers every few years. Players like Kyrie Irving and Zion Williamson are both Duke alumni who came into the league with huge expectations. Flagg ended his freshman year at Duke with several player of the year awards and averaged 19.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.4 steals for the Blue Devils.
Cooper Flagg has all the skills to become an All-Star player in the NBA
The consensus around the NBA is that a draft class can’t be evaluated for at least two years before seeing who got the best deal. That is not the case here. Flagg comes into the league with the respect of the US National team players, as he was invited to take part in a scrimmage against the U.S. national team in 2024. He got high praise from NBA players at the age of just 17.
How much playing time will Jason Kidd give Cooper Flagg in Dallas?
Cooper enters a packed front court in Dallas. He will have to contend with 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis, centers Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, and forwards P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall, and Caleb Martin. Flagg’s best trait so far is that he is “positionless” and can play anywhere on the floor, so we expect to see him in Jason Kidd’s starting lineup.
Following the drama of the KD trade that consumed the NBA, the focus has now shifted to the draft results and what each team got out of the annual event. Nico Harrison was still getting booed at a watch party in Dallas, but following the Copper Flagg selection, he had the following to say:
“It’s a generational talent, a once-in-a-lifetime chance. So, just top to bottom, we’re excited. I think the biggest thing is he’s a two-way player. When you have a player that’s that good and people talk about the intangibles — they don’t talk about basketball — then that’s a guy who’s going to add to your culture. We don’t know when, but eventually it’s going to be Cooper’s team. We don’t know when that transition will happen. So I think it’s win now and then set yourself up to win in the future as well.”
After the draft, the number one pick shared his feelings and thoughts by saying:
“I’m feeling amazing. It’s a dream come true, to be honest. I’m really excited. I think I keep saying I’m excited to be a sponge, to get down there and just learn, be surrounded by Hall of Fame-caliber guys, and just to be able to learn from them. It’s going to be an incredible experience. I feel so blessed to be in the position I am.”
Can Cooper Flagg be part of a championship-winning team in his rookie year?
As the Dallas Mavericks’ rivals make history this offseason, the Mavs will be hoping that Cooper Flagg will have an immediate impact in the NBA next season. Flagg comes into the league having broken several records in his freshman year at Duke. His performances and sheer ability both on and off the ball are reminiscent of one of his idols, Larry Bird. In a post-draft interview with SportsCenter, Flagg stated that he believes the reality of the situation will set in once he plays against Jayson Tatum, whom he admits to watching play regularly.
