NEW YORK — The Dallas Mavericks selected Duke freshman forward Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday night, capping off a chaotic year filled with injuries, underachievement, and a mind-boggling trade that shook the league.
Dallas got in the position to select Flagg after the draft lottery on May 12, when the Mavericks, with a 1.8% chance of winning the lottery, jumped up 10 spots and had the opportunity to change their fortunes in a matter of months.
In Flagg, the Mavericks are getting an 18-year-old, 6-foot-7, 220-pound player who can score at all three levels and led the nation in box plus-minus, which is used as an estimate of a player’s contribution to the team. He can start for Dallas from the minute he arrives and will complement Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, whenever he gets back from his knee injury.
Will this selection make the Mavericks fan base forget and forgive general manager Nico Harrison for trading a franchise player in Luka Doncic? It depends on what day you ask and how Flagg performs the first half of next season. Maybe, just maybe, some of those disgruntled fans and thousands who canceled their season tickets will come back into the fold.
