The Dallas Mavericks, by trading away Luka Doncic, announced to the world that they do not care about the future and they only want to win now. A core of Kyrie Irving (when healthy), Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford, and Anthony Davis should certainly be good enough to compete for a title.
However, the Mavs ended up winning the NBA Draft Lottery and secured the rights to select Cooper Flagg, a transformational prospect whom they could build around. While it has been speculated that Dallas will trade the pick for a win-now player, keeping him seems to be the most likely course of action.
Five years ago, the Golden State Warriors found themselves in a similar situation.
Former Duke forward Cooper Flagg at the 2025 NBA Draft Combine.
Former Duke forward Cooper Flagg at the 2025 NBA Draft Combine.
© David Banks-Imagn Images
In 2020, after injuries ruined their season, the Warriors landed the second overall pick and missed on LaMelo Ball, instead drafting for fit and selecting James Wiseman.
Wiseman would go on to be one of the bigger busts in recent memory, but it kicked off the Warriors' "two timeline" approach, where they tried to win with Stephen Curry and company while also developing the next generation of Warriors.
However, unlike Wiseman, Flagg is expected to impact winning.
"A rule of thumb is that NBA rookies are rarely able to drive winning," wrote The Athletic's Christian Clark. "Flagg has a good chance to be an exception, much of which is due to his ability to affect games even when he’s not scoring. Flagg is a strong rebounder and an underrated passer. He moves well without the ball. His defining trait is his intensity from possession to possession. Talent evaluators rave about his motor."
The only player Golden State was able to turn into a star from the "two timeline" approach was Jordan Poole, who blossomed in the 2021-22 season. Hopefully, no one on Dallas punches Flagg in the face, driving him out of town, and starting the clock on their inevitable rebuild, which was only prologed by adding Jimmy Butler.
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