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Cooper Flagg Era Begins: Mavericks Make The Inevitable Official With No. 1 Pick
Photo credit: Cooper Flagg
Basketball’s worst-kept secret finally became official when NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stepped up to the mic and announced what many had long anticipated: Cooper Flagg is the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Even though most had penciled in Flagg to the Dallas Mavericks months ago, the moment still carried a sense of surreal weight as it unfolded Thursday (PH time), June 27, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
At just 18, Flagg arrives with the resume of a much more seasoned player. In his lone season at Duke, he averaged 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds, leading the Blue Devils to a 35-4 record and a Final Four appearance. His efforts earned him consensus national player of the year honors — a rare feat for a freshman.
Flagg becomes the first college freshman to be taken with the top pick since Paolo Banchero in 2022. His selection also marks a return to the traditional NCAA-to-NBA pipeline after back-to-back years of international players going No. 1.
And yet, while Flagg’s selection was no surprise, the situation he steps into is far from typical.
Just over a year ago, Luka Dončić stood as the face of the Mavericks, having just led them to the NBA Finals. He was a perennial MVP candidate, the franchise cornerstone — until Dallas stunned the league by sending him to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for champion big man Anthony Davis.
The aftermath was turbulent. Kyrie Irving, sidelined with a torn ACL, remained with the team, but without Dončić, Dallas stumbled. They barely secured a play-in spot before bowing out of the postseason against the Memphis Grizzlies.
That left the Mavericks at a crossroads. In a draft where winning the lottery meant winning Cooper Flagg, Dallas beat the odds — and franchise history — to land the No. 1 overall pick for just the second time.
They didn’t hesitate.
This wasn’t a decision; it was a formality. Cooper Flagg is that kind of prospect — the type every front office would race to the podium for, no matter their roster or system.
But Flagg won’t be easing into the league with a rebuilding team. Dallas still has playoff aspirations and a roster built to compete. There’s urgency. There’s expectation. The clock is already ticking.
Flagg’s NBA journey begins not with a clean slate, but with a mandate: help restore the Mavericks to contention — and fast.
Dallas wouldn’t have it any other way.
Even though most had penciled in Flagg to the Dallas Mavericks months ago, the moment still carried a sense of surreal weight as it unfolded Thursday (PH time), June 27, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
At just 18, Flagg arrives with the resume of a much more seasoned player. In his lone season at Duke, he averaged 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds, leading the Blue Devils to a 35-4 record and a Final Four appearance. His efforts earned him consensus national player of the year honors — a rare feat for a freshman.
Flagg becomes the first college freshman to be taken with the top pick since Paolo Banchero in 2022. His selection also marks a return to the traditional NCAA-to-NBA pipeline after back-to-back years of international players going No. 1.
And yet, while Flagg’s selection was no surprise, the situation he steps into is far from typical.
Just over a year ago, Luka Dončić stood as the face of the Mavericks, having just led them to the NBA Finals. He was a perennial MVP candidate, the franchise cornerstone — until Dallas stunned the league by sending him to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for champion big man Anthony Davis.
The aftermath was turbulent. Kyrie Irving, sidelined with a torn ACL, remained with the team, but without Dončić, Dallas stumbled. They barely secured a play-in spot before bowing out of the postseason against the Memphis Grizzlies.
That left the Mavericks at a crossroads. In a draft where winning the lottery meant winning Cooper Flagg, Dallas beat the odds — and franchise history — to land the No. 1 overall pick for just the second time.
They didn’t hesitate.
This wasn’t a decision; it was a formality. Cooper Flagg is that kind of prospect — the type every front office would race to the podium for, no matter their roster or system.
But Flagg won’t be easing into the league with a rebuilding team. Dallas still has playoff aspirations and a roster built to compete. There’s urgency. There’s expectation. The clock is already ticking.
Flagg’s NBA journey begins not with a clean slate, but with a mandate: help restore the Mavericks to contention — and fast.
Dallas wouldn’t have it any other way.
Jun 26, 2025
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