There aren’t many highly touted freshmen in college basketball history who have played as well as Cooper Flagg. Flagg has lived up to every bit of the hype. Yet, even with just over a week until he likely hears his name called first overall, some continue to doubt him.
“I don’t see him as a dominating player. I think he will be the second best player on a good team or third best player on a great team. Nothing I saw made me think he is going to be unstoppable,” Chuck Klosterman wrote.
There’s no question Flagg is heading to the Mavericks, especially with reports indicating he is the only player they've scheduled a private workout with.
“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.
However, Dallas has been forced to deny head coach Jason Kidd the opportunity to interview with the New York Knicks. Mutual interest reportedly exists between Kidd and the Knicks, which Fox Sports' Colin Cowherd addressed on air:
“There is no way I’m leaving Dallas with Cooper Flagg arriving from Duke,” Cowherd said live on air.
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Although Kidd isn’t leaving — at least for now — the swirling rumors briefly created uncertainty for Flagg before draft night.
“But with the Kidd rumors spiraling over the last few days, this nearly set up an unprecedented time for an 18-year-old Flagg at a time when he doesn't need any distractions. He's set on joining the Mavericks without any unknowns, but with the front office and their recent history, we can't be too sure,” The Smoking Cuban’s Jared A’Latorre wrote.
Flagg is poised to become a star, but the last thing a rookie needs is instability at the top. While it looks like he won’t have to worry about who his head coach will be, the situation in Dallas came dangerously close to unprecedented territory.