The moment the Dallas Mavericks leapt up 10 spots and their 1.8% chance to land the No. 1 overall pick became reality, the speculation began:
Would the Mavericks trade the No. 1 pick and the rights to draft Cooper Flagg? What about sending it to the Milwaukee Bucks as the core of a deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo? What about a team (maybe Utah) that could throw a flood of future picks at them?
No, no, and no.
Dallas will not entertain the idea of trading the No. 1 pick, which seemed obvious — [even in the wake of the Doncic trade](https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/winner-losers-from-luka-doncic-anthony-davis-blockbuster-trade) — but a [source confirmed to Tim MacMahon of ESPN](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45130020/sources-mavericks-plan-draft-cooper-flagg-trade-no-1-pick).
_Sources told ESPN that Patrick Dumont, who just finished his first year as the Mavs’ governor, considers the opportunity to be in position to draft a generational talent such as Flagg a “gift.” While Dumont has given (GM Nico) Harrison great leeway to run basketball operations, the governor has final decision on all personnel matters._
Mavericks CEO Rick Welts echoed that idea the day after the lottery.
_“I don’t know who we’re going to take, but should we take him, I think his résumé is pretty strong,” Welts said. “Every time he’s put in a situation that everyone wondered if he could succeed, he’s succeeded and then some.”_
It would be foolish to trade away Flagg, whose projected floor is a multiple-time All-Star and whose ceiling is a top-five player in the league. Even for more of a win-now team, such as the Mavericks with Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, they are not going to trade away that much talent and a bridge to the future.
Now, the San Antonio Spurs with the No. 2 pick are a different story; that pick is expected to be available in something like an Antetokounmpo trade with the Bucks. The win-now 76ers likely will consider trading the No. 3 pick for the right deal.
However, the Mavericks are not listening to trade offers.