The NBA Draft is quickly approaching, and Cooper Flagg is the biggest name in it. All signs are pointing toward Flagg going to Dallas, but it promises to be an interesting process—especially with general manager Nico Harrison willing to trade away big stars.
“The point is, Harrison's history is a red flag that Flagg is not necessarily safe being in Dallas. This shows that the Mavs have opened up a lot more, getting the No. 1 draft pick, and Dumont has to bring in someone to work alongside Harrison to make sure he treats his superstar in the Flagg era differently than he did in the Doncic era,” The Smoking Cuban’s Jared A’Latorre wrote.
The Mavericks have only worked out Flagg and no other prospects, which is yet another sign that they don’t intend to trade the pick.
“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.
Despite some uncertainty around Flagg, it certainly appears the Mavericks are set on drafting him. In fact, Dallas has already prematurely featured Flagg on their social media, further fueling speculation.
To build around Flagg, CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn suggests the Mavericks could even trade Anthony Davis.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
“If the Mavericks trade the 32-year-old Davis for that haul of first-round picks tomorrow, they'll have set themselves up to rebuild around the 18-year-old Flagg's timeline. To be clear, in this instance, ‘rebuild’ is not a euphemism for an aimless, multi-year tanking endeavor. It is a quick touch up, a chance to reallocate assets from one era to another without completely sacrificing either,” Quinn wrote.
Such a move would certainly shake up the league, but it could give Dallas the chance to construct a roster around a true franchise player. Flagg is one of the most hyped prospects since LeBron James and Zion Williamson, so building around him may be the right move.