When Cooper Flagg tours the Mavericks' facilities in Dallas today, it'll be the last time he'll be in the building not as a member of the organization. The 6-foot-8 forward had a standout freshman year at Duke, leading the team in scoring (19.2 points), rebounds (7.5), and assists (4.2) en route to winning National Player of the Year honors.
Ever since reclassifying up to enroll in college a year early, Flagg has been projected as the No. 1 pick in this year's draft, even though he's the youngest eligible player to be selected. He squeaked in under the deadline, turning 19 years old on December 21st. The Dallas organization has been open about their intentions to select Flagg with their pick, with Head Coach Jason Kidd saying "we love that kid from Duke," in an interview last month.
"I see a young man who is only 18 years old who can do a lot of things," Kidd explained. "He won't be 19 until December, which is really surprising, but I think when you talk about being able to play 2 through 4, and in today's game, you might be able to sneak him around the five, if we're going to label him as a position player. Maybe there's still some growth, only being 18, he could still grow. But I think you can play him at the two, his ability to shoot the ball, to be able to put on the floor. Again, as I talked about, we can have a big group out there that could start."
While in Dallas, Flagg is expected to tour the American Airlines Center, the Mavericks' practice facility, a light workout, and dinner with the Mavs' General Manager Nico Harrison and other team reps. He will also likely meet with a small group of players to get a better feel for the team's culture.
Two Dallas players spent their one season in college at Duke, like Flagg, as Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II were lottery picks coming out of the program. Lively was taken by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the 12th overall pick in 2023, but was immediately traded to the Mavs. Irving was traded to Dallas by the Nets in 2023, reaching the NBA Finals in 2024.
Irving suffered a torn ACL in March of this year, but there's optimism he could return to action as early as January 2026. Lively dealt with an injury of his own last year, missing 36 games with a right ankle stress fracture. He returned to action in early April and is expected to pair with big man Anthony Davis in one of the better post rotations in the league.
It's rare for a player taken with the No. 1 pick to join a team with as much promise as the Mavericks. Flagg couldn't ask for a better opportunity to begin his NBA career.