Dallas Mavericks expected to pick Cooper Flagg with No. 1 NBA Draft pick

Mavs expected to draft Cooper Flagg

The NBA Draft is right around the corner. The Mavs share their mindset ahead of their No. 1 pick decision.

DALLAS - The NBA Draft is a day away, and the Dallas Mavericks have the No. 1 pick. The team is expected to select 18-year-old Duke superstar Cooper Flagg.

NBA Draft Reality

Cooper Flagg talks to media ahead of NBA Draft

Presumptive first overall pick Cooper Flagg answered questions about his thoughts on Dallas, when he found out about the Luka Doncic trade and his thoughts about the sky-high expectations.

The Mavs are 99.99% expected to pick Cooper Flagg with this year’s No. 1 overall draft pick.

No one could have predicted that this would be the Mavs’ reality. Just a year ago at this time, Luka Doncic led the team to the NBA Finals.

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - APRIL 05: Cooper Flagg #2 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts against the Houston Cougars during the first half in the Final Four game of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at the Alamodome on April 05, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. (

Expand

Then, in February, General Manager Nico Harrison did something that only nightmares are made of – trading away the foundation of the franchise to the Lakers of all teams.

Fast forward three months, and the Mavs somehow secured the No. 1 pick for the first time ever, winning the draft lottery with just a measly 1.8% chance.

Conspiracy theories aside, this is now Dallas’ reality. It’s an elusive golden ticket to turn the franchise around.

Featured

Nico Harrison press conference: Mavs GM answers questions from reporters

article

Nico Harrison press conference: Mavs GM answers questions from reporters

Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison answered questions in front of cameras for the first time since early February.

Who is Cooper Flagg?

Flagg has been highly touted as a generational talent.

The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in his freshman season at Duke. He was named the ACC Player of the Year and ACC Rookie of the Year, joining previous top NBA Draft picks Zion Williamson, Marvin Bagley III, and Jahlil Okafor as the only players in conference history to win both awards in the same season.

The Maine native was also named to the USA Select team to practice with the United States men's national team ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics, where USA Basketball won a gold medal.

He’s a rebirth of sorts and a prime opportunity for Harrison, the front office, and the ownership group to regain the trust of an overwhelmingly exhausted fan base that desperately needs new life.

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - APRIL 5: Cooper Flagg #2 of the Duke Blue Devils dunks the ball against the Houston Cougars in the first half during the Final Four round of the men's NCAA basketball tournament at Alamodome on April 5, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas

Expand

What they're saying:

Flagg met with the Mavericks last week in his only pre-draft visit.

On Tuesday, He reflected on his visit with the franchise and talked about what it would mean to wind up in Dallas.

"It was an incredible visit for me, and it worked out to be able to go down and see the facilities and stuff. And to get in the gym and I got a good hour and 15 workout in. You know, a bunch of rebounders, staff, coaches, equipment guys were brought in regarding me to get some live reads and stuff like that. So I think it was really good to see. And I got to see some of the players work out after and saw the guys on the team work out and kind of what they do, so that was pretty cool," he said.

Flagg said he wants to be in a situation where he's able to win and be on a team surrounded by a ton of incredible players that have had extensive careers.

"Watching him on tape, he moves like a guard. He can do a lot of things offensively and then defensively. He’s up for the challenge in understanding. As Mavs, we love guys who go defense. And so we’re really excited to bring him in and get to talk to him and get to know him a little bit better," Mavs Head Coach Jason Kidd said of Flagg’s all-encompassing skill set.