A lot of the noise around the Dallas Mavericks trading their No. 1 pick has quieted down since the 2025 NBA Draft lottery took place. So, it is seemingly more and more apparent that former Duke star Cooper Flagg is heading to Dallas as the top player in the draft class.
One of his future Mavs teammates is extremely excited about Flagg's future in the league, alongside the rest of the highly talented incoming players.
None other than Kyrie Irving, who will most likely be in the Hall of Fame for his championship-winning career, shared his excitement about the former Blue Devil joining him in Dallas and even said that he and Flagg are already in touch.
"We definitely are connected," Irving said. "[Cooper Flagg]'s a Duke Blue Devil and I know he can deal with the pressure, and I'm looking forward to seeing a great season, not only from him but a lot of the other young players that are here."
Kyrie Irving on his future teammate, Cooper Flagg. pic.twitter.com/c3ugv6DB1Q
— Blue Devils (@BlueDevils) June 10, 2025
Irving has played for the Mavericks since 2022, when he was traded from the Brooklyn Nets. He began his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he won the NBA Championship in 2016 alongside former teammate LeBron James.
The 2025 NBA Draft is set to start on Wednesday, June 25, at 8 p.m. ET. Flagg is projected to be the first overall pick, sending him to Dallas, but he is far from the only Blue Devil expected to hear their name called during the first round.
Guard Kon Knueppel has found himself within the top five picks in a few mock drafts, and big man Khaman Maluach has garnered a lot of attention following his impressive performance at the NBA Draft Combine.
Veteran guards Tyrese Proctor and Sion James are expected to be drafted early on in the second round, which will take place on Thursday, June 26.