The NBA Draft is now just over 24 hours away, and some of the best basketball players from around the world are eagerly awaiting the chance to hear their names called and see their dreams come true. The presumed No. 1 pick is none other than Duke standout and reigning ACC Player of the Year, Cooper Flagg.
Flagg has been considered the top prospect since he proved himself during last season. He’s already been bonding with his future teammates and has even shared meals with several players currently on the Mavericks roster.
“After a Tuesday dinner with team officials in Dallas, Flagg had dinner on Wednesday with Mavericks players, according to NBA insider Marc Stein,” Bleacher Report’s Julia Stumbaugh wrote.
It’s clear Flagg is heading to Dallas, as he was the only prospect in the draft to work out for the team.
“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.
If that wasn’t already a strong indication, the Mavericks briefly posted a welcome graphic on their website.
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“DLLS Mavericks reporter Kevin Gray posted on X a screenshot from Mavs' official website that displayed Flagg in Dallas' white home jersey – part of a premature ‘Welcome to Dallas’ graphic that was quickly removed from the team's site,” Yahoo Sports’ Jeremy Beren wrote.
However, drafting Flagg might create some tension with star Anthony Davis — or at least that’s the belief of one NBA coach.
“They can be effective for stretches with Lively and AD and Cooper Flagg as your frontcourt," the coach said. "But the best thing in today's game is going to be having AD at the 5 and Flagg at 4. You do that, though, and you're going to have the same complaint from Davis that he's always had. There could be some awkward looks there."
Davis has consistently expressed his preference to play the four, but for Flagg, that position may be ideal. Davis once commented that the Lakers needed a center — even though he was already playing that role — so asking him to shift again for a rookie could be a challenge.