After winning this year's draft lottery, the Dallas Mavericks now officially own the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. While nothing is official, many expect that the Mavericks will take Duke star Cooper Flagg, who has long been considered the consensus No. 1 prospect in this year's draft.
While this is what many believe will happen, crazier things have happened in the league, including with the Mavericks just this year after shockingly trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in February.
The NBA Draft is a little over a month away, and a lot can happen until then. Given the latest predictions, even going as far as to trade the No. 1 overall pick could be an option for Nico Harrison and the Mavericks.
Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison.
Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison.
© Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
In a recent appearance on Run It Back, former NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins spoke about Dallas' outlook now that they have the No. 1 overall pick. According to Cousins, he believes there "is no way" the Mavericks keep the pick.
"There's no way [Nico Harrison] keeps that pick," Cousins said about the Mavericks owning the No. 1 overall draft pick.
Furthermore, the Alabama native also went as far as to say he does not think Flagg deserves to be the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft. Instead, he thinks it should be Rutgers guard Ace Bailey, who he compared to Basketball Hall of Famer and former Toronto Raptors star Tracy McGrady.
"I like Ace Bailey. To me, Ace Bailey is the No. 1 pick," Cousins said. "I think he's the closest thing we've seen to a Tracy McGrady."
Regardless of who ultimately goes first overall, this will be an important narrative to follow. While it seems unlikely, the Mavericks trading the first pick cannot be completely ruled out. Additionally, it will be interesting to see if Bailey gets drafted over Flagg, like Cousins thinks he should.
The first round of the NBA Draft is set for June 25. Until then, the rumor mill will be buzzing as Dallas has a major decision they need to make.