The NBA Draft withdrawal deadline came and went on Wednesday, and to no one's surprise, Duke star Cooper Flagg stayed in the draft with the Dallas Mavericks on the clock with the first overall pick.
Despite people trying to spread rumors otherwise, all indications point to the Mavericks staying on the board and taking Flagg, giving them a player who can help them win now and in the future. That's an important timeline for a team to be on after trading away a franchise star in Luka Doncic.
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Former NBA forward Carmelo Anthony
Apr 29, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Former NBA forward Carmelo Anthony waves to the crowd during game five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs between the against the Detroit Pistons and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
NBA legend Carmelo Anthony recently discussed Cooper Flagg on his podcast, "7PM in Brooklyn," and he seems impressed with the future Maverick.
"Coop is nice," Anthony started. " ...I'm very high on his game, (but) to me, he doesn't do anything great. He just does a lot of shit very good. Offensive rebounds, very f---ing good. In the passing lanes, very good. He's a weak-side defender, very good. On-ball defender, he got a lot better.
" ... Offensively, he started to get to that elbow area. The confidence started getting bigger and bigger as the season went on. I'm a fan. Now, we have to talk to him as a pro. Now, we stepping into where this is every single night, 82 games every single night.
"...He re-classed up, he (is) supposed to be in my son's class," Anthony continued later. "Look at what he's done. Look at how he's developed in a couple months at Duke. Think about how much better he is than a high school senior today."
Flagg's ability to produce in college after reclassifying, as well as performing well in Team USA practices before the Olympics last year, is what has NBA scouts believing he should have no problem adjusting to the professional level. It'll also help that he's going to a team that believes it's ready to compete so he won't be asked to carry a bad team. He'll be able to learn from Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, which will be important for his development too.
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