The Dallas Mavericks are scheduled to draft Cooper Flag for the Duke Blue Devils, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
The arrival of Flag is expected to guide the Mavericks into a new era, following the shocking decision to trade Cornerstone superstar Lukadon Sic for the Los Angeles Lakers.
The wounds from Doncic’s dealings are still fresh, but fanbase and franchise legends like Don Nelson are still fresh, but Flagg’s arrival certainly has hope for a bright future.
With that in mind, star guard Kyrie Irving, who tore his ACL last season, recently shared his honest views on the flag.
Like Flag, Irving was the top prospect when he declared the NBA draft. Kai was eventually selected as the No. 1 overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2011 NBA Draft.
In addition to that, Irving spent a year at the NCAA in Duke’s basketball program. With so many similarities between the two stars, it’s natural to question whether to share a connection.
Irving shared his views on Flag at the NBA’s Future Starts, saying, “We’re definitely going to connect. He’s the Duke Blue Devil. He knows he can handle the pressure and I’m looking forward to seeing a great season.”
He added: “Not only from him, but also from many young players here, internationally and internationally,” he added.
Irving is excited to see Flagg succeed in the NBA, but fans will have to wait before he recovers from his injury to see them play together.
Before going down due to a vicious ACL injury, Irving averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game for the Mavericks.
Heading into the summer, Kai makes a decision to decide whether to opt for the $43.9 million player option. If he opts out of it, Irving will become one of the top 50 free agents to be careful about the offseason.
But with Irving’s answer about Flagg in mind, I feel that the nine times NBA All-Star is determined to return to Dallas.
Irving has yet to make an official decision, but Dallas fans have not seen him play on the court for most of the 2025-26 NBA season.
After that, there is no guarantee that the 33-year-old will return to his pre-examination form.