The Dallas Mavericks, in the eyes of many, already had their franchise cornerstone in Luka Doncic. However, in a stunning move this past season, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison traded Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of the trade deadline in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and draft compensation.
Fast forward five months, and Dallas has now selected its next potential franchise centerpiece in Cooper Flagg out of Duke, after improbably landing the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft despite having just a 1.8% chance in the lottery.
Following his selection, Flagg sat down with the "TODAY Show" and opened up about the moment he first heard the news of the Mavericks trading Doncic — a move that sent shockwaves through the basketball world.
“It was after we beat UNC at home and I was hanging out with all the guys,” Flagg said. “I remember my teammate Darren Harris was the first person to see the notification, and we were all just screaming. It was such a shock.”
Luka Doncic was coming off leading the Mavericks to an NBA Finals appearance in 2024, which made the trade even more shocking given how quickly he had risen to global stardom since entering the league in 2018.
Now, Doncic is expected to be the future of the Lakers, while Cooper Flagg will join a Mavericks team featuring several potential future Hall of Famers — including Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, and former Duke star Kyrie Irving.
Cooper Flagg arrives before the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center.
Cooper Flagg arrives before the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center.
Brad Penner-Imagn Images
As a freshman, Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game — leading Duke in every major statistical category on their way to 35 wins and a Final Four berth in the NCAA Tournament.