Cooper Flagg is the most hyped prospect since LeBron James back in 2003. Last summer, Flagg took the basketball world by storm when he was giving NBA legends buckets as a member of the Team USA Scout Team, practicing against the national team before they headed to the Olympics. Now, this summer, Flagg is preparing to become the first overall pick in the NBA Draft.
Flagg will most likely end up in the hands of the Dallas Mavericks, but he came very close to starting his career in Chicago.
“Since Chicago and Dallas had the same record, the coin flip determined who would have the 11th spot and who would have the 12th spot. Chicago lost the toss and had the 12th spot. They ended up staying at 12 after the lottery, while Dallas, who got the 11th best odds, jumped all the way to No. 1,” nbaonespn posted.
There's also a possibility that Dallas could trade the No. 1 pick for one of the NBA’s best players.
“That is the craziest set of circumstances... You know they've wanted Giannis in Dallas for years. They signed his brother a few years ago. Just wanted to point that out,” Brian Windhorst said.
From the beginning, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer has supported Flagg's decision to pursue his NBA dream.
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“I think he's got to take the next dream in his life, and be the top pick in the NBA Draft and start his professional career,” Scheyer said.
After learning where Flagg will begin his professional journey, Scheyer shared his initial reaction to the news that Flagg is heading to Dallas.
“For me, the first thing I thought of is he gets to be with Derick Lively,” Scheyer said.
Scheyer coached Lively in his first year as Duke’s head coach. The two are forever etched in Duke history. While Flagg and Lively never played together at Duke, they may soon share the court as teammates with the Dallas Mavericks.