If you didn't believe there was significant hype for Cooper Flagg entering the NBA, his first game used jersey for the Dallas Mavericks, a Summer League jersey, just sold for nearly $100,000.
Sotheby's ran an NBA-sanctioned auction for Cooper Flagg's first jersey, the white Summer League jersey from the matchup against Bronny James and the Los Angeles Lakers, which sold for $95,250. The jersey was unsigned, which makes you wonder what it could've sold for had Flagg signed it and what his official game-used jerseys will sell for.
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Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg
Jul 12, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) looks on against the San Antonio Spurs in the second quarter of their game at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images / Candice Ward-Imagn Images
Flagg called the game he wore that jersey in one of the worst of his career. He scored 10 points, adding 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and a block, but he shot just 5/21 from the floor. Dallas wanted to make him uncomfortable, putting the ball in his hands and asking him to take a lot of shots. You could also tell he was a little jittery in that game.
He made up for it in the next game, though. In Flagg's second Summer League game, he scored 31 points on 10/20 shooting, dominating the floor on both ends. It didn't lead to a win because he got essentially no help from someone else, and the Mavericks shut him down after that game, as was the plan.
Flagg wanted to play more Summer League games to prove that his performance against the Spurs wasn't a fluke, which the coaches laughed at and sat him anyway. He's competitive and really, really good, but for a Summer League jersey to sell for nearly $100,000 is an absurd amount.
Jason Kidd envisions Flagg being a Grant Hill type of player, someone who can have the ball in his hands despite being a wing and make plays for others. Flagg was best at Duke as a secondary playmaker, cutting backdoor, finding the open man on drives, etc., and we never saw him do that at the Summer League because he had the ball in his hands so much.
Flagg is likely the starting small forward next to D'Angelo Russell, Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis, and Dereck Lively II. That lineup doesn't have a lot of spacing or playmaking, so Flagg will have to make improvements on both of those for the Mavericks to be successful until Kyrie Irving returns from his ACL injury.
It's rare for rookies to drive winning, but Flagg is a rare rookie. He may prove good enough to do so, especially if they can get an easier schedule to start.
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