This is the first pick in our Composite Mock Draft; check out the rest of the picks as they are revealed over the coming days leading into the 2025 NBA Draft.
The Dallas Mavericks get to change their franchise forever - at least until they trade this superstar away as well.
All jokes aside, the Mavericks were handed an incredible gift in the NBA Draft Lottery. Not only did they win the No. 1 overall pick, they did so in a year when an all-time prospect has entered the draft. Duke forward Cooper Flagg has been the No. 1 prospect in his class for years, and after reclassifying into the class of 2025 will now be heading to Dallas.
When the Mavericks first won the pick in the Draft Lottery in early May, while talking heads and fans of the other 29 teams were crying "rigged" after Dalals traded away franchise icon Luka Doncic, the question came up whether or not Nico Harrison would consider trading the No. 1 pick for a win-now player. Perhaps they would move back from No. 1 to No. 3 and add someone like Jrue Holiday in the process.
Such an idea is rational in a vacuum, perhaps, but not when you consider the quality of prospect that Cooper Flagg is. The youngest player in the draft is also its very best, as he showed to great success at Duke last year. Draft expert Sam Vecenie of The Athletic called Flagg the second-best prospect of the last 15 years, behind only Victor Wembanyama.
There was no chance that Dallas was ultimately going to trade this pick. They will be adding a future franchise cornerstone, a player who improves their team now and for a decade or more to come. What Flagg brings on offense, defense and as a leader will completely change the future of the Dallas Mavericks.
What Cooper Flagg brings the Mavericks
Cooper Flagg is built like an ideal NBA player, 6'8" tall with a 7'0" wingspan and a balanced, strong physique. He is an elite competitor, understands the game like a 10-year pro, and processes in real-time at an elite level. There are no injury concerns about his frame or his history. He is a natural leader and vocal on the court, and he comes from a solid family background. In short, all of his intangibles are through the roof.
On offense, Flagg can operate on the ball as the primary shot-creator and playmaker; he will need time to grow into that role at the NBA level, but he showed at Duke this past season that he is capable of it. He has a very good, if not great, handle, and his passing ability is top-notch. He can create shots for himself both on the perimeter and in the paint, and is a true three-level scorer. Put him in the post and he will destroy mismatches; put him coming off of a screen and he can get to his spots or go all the way to the rim for a finish with touch.
On defense, Flagg is the ultimate team defender. He has incredible help instincts to dig into passing lanes or rotate to the rim, and is one of the better rim protectors in this class. He is constantly disrupting plays for the opponents, and he should be able to defend forwards in the NBA from day one. He is not an elite switch defender against faster players, but that's the only real weakness in his defensive game.
The final thing to say about Cooper Flagg is that he has no weaknesses. At least, in every area of his game he is at least above average. His game allows him to scale alongside any other player -- he can play multiple positions, fill multiple roles, and make any roster better. He unlocks incredible team-building flexibility for Dallas in the coming years.
This season Flagg joins a team that is caught between trying to win now and develop a young core. If he can come along quickly enough, the Mavericks will likely try to contend in the next couple of years with Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, and eventually pivot into a new chapter centered around Cooper Flagg.
The future is bright once again in Dallas, all thanks to Cooper Flagg.