Cooper Flagg is officially a Dallas Maverick.
The Mavericks selected Flagg with the No. 1 pick in Wednesday’s NBA Draft, formalizing the transaction that was virtually guaranteed the moment the Mavericks won the NBA Draft lottery against long odds in May.
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Flagg joins a Mavericks franchise in the midst of dramatic transition in the aftermath of last season’s stunning trade of franchise cornerstone Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers. The ouster of Dončić in exchange for a package featuring Anthony Davis sparked a revolt among a fan base furious over the loss of the beloved 26-year-old All-NBA guard to a rival.
“It’s really amazing,” Flagg told ESPN after being drafted. “It’s a dream come true, to be honest. I wouldn’t want to share it with anybody else.”
Can Flagg turn the page on post-Dončić turmoil?
Flagg now takes over as the face of the franchise as Mavericks brass seek to turn the page on the most tumultuous chapter in team history. Whether or not Mavericks fans are ready to move on or ever will be, there’s real reason for excitement in Dallas.
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Flagg is one of the most coveted prospects in the history of the draft and has the upside to lead the Mavericks into a new era. The Mavericks are banking on his ability to do so immediately as a starring member of a veteran roster, featuring Davis and Kyrie Irving, that’s built not for the future, but for right now.
Whether or not he’s ready to do so at 18 years old remains to be seen. But his single season at Duke suggests that he can develop into a franchise cornerstone.
Cooper Flagg joins the Mavericks loaded with great expectations. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
(Patrick Smith via Getty Images)
What Flagg brings to Dallas
Flagg has been lauded as a future No. 1 draft pick since his prep days and managed to exceed his hype at Duke.
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A 6-foot-9 forward who can play inside and out, Flagg led Duke as a freshman in points (19.2 ppg), rebounds (7.5), assists (4.2), blocks (1.4) and steals (1.4) while shooting 48.1% from the floor and 38.5% from 3-point distance. The result of his impact was an overwhelming Duke team that advanced to the Final Four.
Flagg paced the Blue Devils to a 35-4 record as Duke led the nation with an average margin of victory of 20.4 points per game. Duke dominated the ACC with a 19-1 regular-season record and tournament championship before entering the NCAA tournament as a No. 1 seed.
Duke’s season fell short of the ultimate goal in a Final Four loss to Houston. But the loss did little to dim Flagg’s NBA prospects. He looks every bit like a generational talent.
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Flagg was a unanimous first-team All-America selection and finished the season as the consensus National Player of the Year while earning the Wooden Award, Naismith Award and AP National Player of the Year honors.
With Flagg, Davis and the projected midseason return of Irving from an ACL tear, expectations for the Mavericks will be considerably higher than the results of last season, when they finished short of the playoffs with a play-in loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in April.
The Mavericks are also banking on Flagg’s arrival to reinvigorate a spurned fan base. It adds up to a significant test for a player who would be fresh out of high school had he not reclassified to join Duke at 17 years old.
