The Dallas Mavericks will have the opportunity to draft Duke star Cooper Flagg after winning the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, giving them the first overall pick for just the second time in franchise history. Flagg is the top prospect on nearly every draft evaluator's board because of his elite two-way versatility. His production at a program like Duke despite having to still really be in high school was an impressive feat.
Although there are some people who doubt his ultimate ceiling, as it can be hard to see him as an MVP candidate, his floor is as high as we've seen from a prospect in recent memory. ESPN's Tim Legler jumped on the DLLS Mavs show to discuss Flagg's growth over the last few years and why he's a "can't miss" prospect.
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Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg
Apr 5, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) walks off the court after losing to the Houston Cougars in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
"Maybe not his rookie year, but starting year two, I think he can be in that same category as Amen Thompson in terms of a guy that's potentially an All-League defender. Pretty quickly, he'll get there. Defensive Player of the Year, that's another tier, another level to get to down the road, but I think, clearly, that's the vein in which I see him... He's got about as much 'want to' for a wing, that's a high-profile wing, as anybody I've seen coming in the league... He loves it. That's the first thing that stood out to me when I started hearing about him in the AAU circuit. He started to become like mythical, like the Cooper Flagg name... I would hear the name at a young age. I saw him at 15 and I was like, 'I could take this guy tomorrow, put him on the court as a starter in a Power 5 conference in college and the dude is going to hold his own.' At 15. Because of how hard he plays, how much he wants it, the edge he's got, he's tough. He doesn't back down from anybody. And then the skill was there. The bounce, the athleticism, running the floor, handling it, his passing is very underrated. I think people started to appreciate it more as their Tournament run went on at Duke. The guy's a hell of a playmaker. The shooting is probably, of all the things right now, the weak point of his game. I think the perimeter shot... that has got to improve. The rest of it's there. The intangibles are there. I think he's a can't miss."
If shooting is the biggest concern with Flagg's game, there won't be too much to worry about. He shot 38.5% from three in his freshman season on 3.6 attempts per game, and he shot 84% from three free-throw line, a good indicator of future three-point success.
The Mavericks should have a prospect they'll look forward to for a long time, even if he's not Luka Doncic.
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