There is no doubt that Cooper Flagg will be the first overall pick in the NBA Draft in just a few weeks. The Dallas Mavericks hold that pick after defying the odds in the NBA Draft Lottery. The team has confirmed that Flagg will be their selection, as he is the only player they plan to work out.
“The Mavericks have no plans to work out any other prospects for the No. 1 pick and have made clear publicly and privately that they plan on selecting Flagg when Adam Silver puts them on the clock to open the 2025 NBA Draft,” ESPN’s Jonathan Givony wrote.
With Flagg set to join the Mavericks, he’s already looking forward to facing his idol and former No. 1 pick, LeBron James.
“Somebody that obviously [I wanna play against] I think [is] LeBron. I think that would just be cool to be able to play against him. Obviously, I think his time is kind of coming to an end soon in the next couple of years or whatever. So I think just being able to play against him would be kind of a surreal feeling and just knowing that what he’s been able to do for the game and being able to accomplish is just insane. So I think it would be cool to play against him,” said Flagg to The Deep 3.
However, Flagg may not have a head coach when he arrives in Dallas. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, there is mutual interest between current Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd and the New York Knicks. Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd believes it would be a major mistake for Kidd to leave.
“There is no way I’m leaving Dallas with Cooper Flagg arriving from Duke,” Cowherd said live on air.
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While Kidd’s job in Dallas appears stable, the recent trade of franchise cornerstone Luka Dončić may have caused some friction between Kidd and general manager Nico Harrison. Regardless of the coaching situation, one thing is certain: Cooper Flagg will be the first overall pick and a Dallas Maverick.