On Wednesday night, the Dallas Mavericks will likely select the franchise's newest cornerstone piece in Cooper Flagg. Ahead of the touted prospect hearing his name called, one former player gave a strong comparison to the versatile forward.
Dating back to before the college season even began, Flagg was regarded as the consensus top pick in this year's draft. As a 6-foot-9 forward who can do just about everything on the floor, many believe he has the potential to be a highly impactful player in the NBA for years to come. After winning the lottery with less than a 2% chance, the Mavericks find themselves set up to nab another big-name prospect they can build around for the foreseeable future.
While on TV earlier this week, Kendrick Perkins opened up on his thoughts regarding the potential No. 1 pick. The former champion is also high on Flagg's potential, dubbing him a combination of LeBron James and Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett.
"This is how I look at Cooper Flagg," Perkins said. "If LeBron James and Kevin Garnett had a baby you'd get Cooper Flagg."
"This is how I look at Cooper Flagg. If LeBron James and Kevin Garnett had a baby, you'd get Cooper Flagg."
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 24, 2025
Kendrick Perkins. pic.twitter.com/CIv6jVa9C7
This is high praise coming from Perkins, as he had a close-up view of both of these all-time talents. He won a championship alongside Garnett with the Boston Celtics in 2008. A decade later, Perkins played his final season in the NBA with LeBron as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Heading into his pro career, Flagg will be battling big expectations on multiple fronts. For starters, he has the pressure of being the top pick in his respective class. On top of that, he'll look to be impactful on day one as he's going to a team looking to compete right now. Alongside Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving (when he returns from injury) Flagg will aim to get the new-look Mavericks back in the title hunt in the Western Conference.