Since before his freshman season at Duke, it was widely expected that Cooper Flagg would eventually become the No. 1 overall pick. Following a historic year—where he racked up a plethora of national awards and led his team in nearly every major statistical category—it’s now all but certain that he’ll be the first player to hear his name called on June 25 in Brooklyn.
Shockingly, the Dallas Mavericks, who entered the NBA Draft Lottery with just a 1.8% chance of landing the top pick, did exactly that—securing the No. 1 selection just months after trading franchise star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Now, with a few weeks until draft night, anticipation is building for the Mavericks to make the expected move and select Flagg as the new face of their franchise. On Sunday, intriguing news emerged that adds even more fuel to that expectation.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Flagg is scheduled to visit Dallas on June 17—just a week before the draft—for a private meeting with the organization. This follows his first official visit with the Mavericks, and Charania all but confirmed that Flagg is set to be their pick.
This report effectively shuts down any lingering speculation about Dallas possibly packaging the No. 1 pick in a blockbuster trade for a superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Flagg, who hails from a small town in Maine, admitted he was surprised when the Mavericks landed the top pick but also expressed genuine excitement about the possibility of being drafted by Dallas.
“I saw the teams just like everybody else, but I feel like it was kind of a crazy sequence of events,” Flagg said at the NBA Draft Combine. “I was surprised like a lot of people.”
“They’ve got a lot of really good pieces—D-Live from Duke. That’s pretty cool,” Flagg added. “I think it’ll be a really good opportunity.”
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 addition to Dereck Lively II, another Duke product, the Mavericks also have Kyrie Irving, a former Blue Devil himself. If drafted, Flagg would be joining both of them—alongside Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson—instantly forming a formidable core that could make Dallas a serious contender right away.