The Dallas Mavericks are at the heart of the NBA offseason, with crazy predictions already emerging.
The Dallas Mavericks were expected to get healthy this offseason after losing in the play-in tournament and move forward with the roster Nico Harrison imagined.
Instead, they will land their first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and likely choose Duke’s outstanding Cooper Flag. Flag is easily the best player in his class, but Mavericks’ limited window with Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson sparked speculation that he might trade top picks.
Giannis Antetokounmpo seems like the only option in the flag trading, but one former player suggested that they could cash in on another big name.
With Davis low and eventually healthy Irving promoted and Thompson spaced the floors, Harrison revealed he thinks the defense will win the Mavericks title, but adds one of the best scorers of all time, Kevin Durant.
However, Durant, 36, may not be worth Flag in trade. Still, he is a proven player who helps Mavericks’ title hopes.
“Kevin Durant wouldn’t be a bad move on that number one pick,” DeMarcus Cousins proposed.
“Nico has already recorded it as a three-year window as long as he wins the championship. Flagg doesn’t fit that window. Kevin Durant definitely thinks he’ll trade that number one pick.”
If the Mavericks trade for Durant, Dallas only have three seasons to really compete. Without future draft capital, the Mavericks cannot be rebuilt, and all hope must be placed in Irving, Davis, Thompson and Durant.
They’ll also be reduced to match Durant’s pay.
If Maverick is likely to hold the top pick instead of organizing a trade, Flagg is the clear number one pick. He appears to be an NBA-compatible, has all the markers of being a franchise player on both ends of the floor.
He was compared to Kevin Garnett and Scotty Pippen. However, Cousins compares to legends that have not found the team’s success, MAVS believes he should choose the player he compares.
“I like Ace Bailey, and for me, Ace Bailey is the number one pick,” Cousins said. “I think he’s the closest we’ve seen Tracy McCready.”
Bailey is considered at best the third best player in the draft behind Flag and Dylan Harper. He is very raw outlook and many scores have risen, but his steering, shot choices and general athleticism leave a lot to be desired.
Flagg joins Mavericks and quickly wins and can contribute to the “window of three years.” If Mavs shocks the world and drafts Bailey, then the direction Nico Harrison is promoting would be a lie.