Cooper Flagg, Mavericks
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Cooper Flagg is thrilled to join the Dallas Mavericks as the No. 1 pick.
The Dallas Mavericks were ecstatic to win the wild NBA Draft lottery and the rights to select presumptive No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg.
But the questions begging for an answer, is the feeling mutual?
According to ESPN’s draft expert Jonathan Givony, Flagg is thrilled to join a Mavericks team that, if healthy, is a strong contender in the stacked Western Conference.
“Though Flagg initially looked shocked by the results of Monday’s draft lottery, sources told ESPN that his camp realized how fortunate he is to land in Dallas. Flagg is said to be thrilled by the idea of joining a playoff-caliber roster with strong veterans and a team that has a void at the small forward position. The Mavericks have a need for shot creators and will need Flagg to shoulder significant offensive responsibility as a rookie (similar to what we saw at Duke), which will be great for his long-term development,” Givony said.
Flagg is expected to slot in as the small forward next to Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively II in the Mavericks frontcourt.
The 6-foot-9 Duke product looked as shocked as everyone else on Monday night.
“I didn’t try and think about it too much,” Flagg said during his post-Draft lottery interview when ESPN’s Bob Myers asked him about the prospect of joining a good team like the Mavericks. “I feel like it’s kind of out of my control. So, I’m just kind of going through the process like everybody else and just trying to enjoy every single moment because we only get to do this once.”
Cooper Flagg a Dream Fit to Mavericks’ Blueprint
When the Mavericks shockingly traded away generational star Luka Dončić, general manager Nico Harrison reasoned out that “defense wins championships.”
Cooper was a two-way star at Duke, leading the Blue Devils to the NCAA Final Four and winning nearly every National Player of the Year award.
Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks in college while shooting 48.1% from the field.
At Draft Combine in Chicago, Flagg measured 6’7.75″ without shoes, weighed 221 pounds, and had a 7’0″ wingspan. He also recorded a standing reach of 8’10.5″ and a vertical leap of 40 inches.
“This entire experience for me has been amazing,” Flagg told ESPN’s NBA Draft Lottery crew of the pre-draft process. “So going forward, just going to look for that, like [Kendrick Perkins] said, being a two-way player, that’s something that I’ve done since I was a little kid. So I’m just gonna try and keep doing that to the best of my ability.”
Mavericks Not Entertaining Trade Offers for No. 1 pick
The Mavericks vaulted from 11th to the top of the draft with just 1.8% odds.
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported that the Mavericks will not entertain trade offers for the No.1 pick and they plan to select Flagg.
“Sources told ESPN that Patrick Dumont, who just finished his first year as the Mavs’ governor, considers the opportunity to be in a position to draft a generational talent such as Flagg a “gift.” While Dumont has given Harrison great leeway to run basketball operations, the governor has the final decision on all personnel matters,” MacMahon wrote.
Mavericks CEO Rick Welts played it coy when asked about their expected move to select Flagg at No. 1.
“I don’t know who we’re going to take, but should we take him, I think his résumé is pretty strong,” Welts said Tuesday, per ESPN. “Every time he’s put in a situation that everyone wondered if he could succeed, he’s succeeded and then some.”