Dallas’ GM has been heavily criticized since the day Nico Harrison traded Luka Donsic. Fans on the team couldn’t understand why Harrison broke up with All-NBA talent like Doncic.
The Mavericks finished 39-43 in 2024-25, finishing 10th in the West. Dallas had a 1.8% chance to land the No. 1 pick in Monday’s draft lottery. However, Mavs was very fortunate. With the fourth-longest odds in draft history, Dallas won the draft lottery and earned the right to choose #1 next month. That means the 2024-25 AP Player of the Year, Cooper Flag, is heading for Dallas. How fast can the Flag make the Mavericks a Western candidate?
After trading Luka Doncic, Mavericks reloads by drafting Cooper Flag
For the first time, we won the lottery 💰#mffl pic.twitter.com/gp1nldby6k
– Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) May 12, 2025
On Monday night, Jazz, Hornet and Wizard had a 14% chance of landing the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. They had three worst records in 2024-25. However, all three fell from the top four. As Utah, Charlotte and Washington slid from the top three, Dallas, Philadelphia and San Antonio moved up the board. The Mavericks had a 1.8% chance to land a #1 pick. This is the first time in franchise history that MAV has won the NBA Draft Lottery.
With the first overall selection in June, the Dallas Mavericks are expected to get a consensus #1 pick, the Cooper Flag, from Duke. The 21-year-old played a lonely college season with the Blue Devils. Averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steel, 1.4 blocks, and Flaggg won the AP Player of the Year. A consensus #1 choice is that Flag has the pressure to become a star at the next level.
The moment I won 🙌 #mffl pic.twitter.com/kfsitx1tfe
– Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) May 13, 2025
We saw a similar situation when Zion Williamson chose the No. 1 pick from Duke in 2019. Cooper Flag joins the Dallas Mavericks team, already veteran talent. Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving can help mentor Flag. Irving is out until at least January due to a knee injury. How quickly can players like Flag change Dallas’ outlook? He was a dominant force at the university level, but the NBA is another animal. The Dallas Mavericks have a new lease in their lives after landing a #1 pick after Monday’s NBA Draft Lottery.
Cooper Flag can do everything in court. He is now known for having one skill to blow you out of the water. Rather, he is a sophisticated product heading into the NBA and requires a smooth transition. Adding Cooper Flags to the starting lineup is perfect for Nico Harrison’s vision. Depending on who will play PF and C next season, MAVS could have three players under 6’8. Harrison said the defense won the championship. That’s part of the reason he traded Luka Donsic. How quickly can Cooper Flag make Dallas a candidate for the Western Conference?