When the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, the entire city of Dallas was heartbroken.
Dallas’ only hope of making another NBA Finals was gone in the blink of an eye, and fans were furious that Nico Harrison even considered trading Doncic. From protests to “Fire Nico” chants everywhere in Dallas and more, the city was broken.
Heading into Monday night’s NBA Draft Lottery, the Mavericks had the 11th-best odds of securing the No. 1 pick in the draft, a 1.8 percent chance, and the impossible happened.
The Mavericks officially secured the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and if Dallas decides to keep their pick, they will have the chance to draft Cooper Flagg of Duke. Earning the No. 1 pick seemed like the only way to ever make up for the Doncic trade, as Flagg has that type of hype around him, and Harrison will have the chance to draft him and pair him next to Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis.
This was one of the few ways to reverse fans’ heartbreak from the Doncic trade, and if Harrison takes Flagg, excitement will be back in the American Airlines Center.
Last season for Duke, Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 48.1 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from downtown. Flagg did it all for the Blue Devils on both ends of the floor, and Mavericks fans are ecstatic that they’ll have the chance to add them to their team if they do indeed keep the pick.
Offensively, Flagg is a skilled scorer who can score at all three levels and has an incredibly smooth jumper for being a 6-foot-9 forward. He can get to the rim whenever he wants and finish with either hand (or an emphatic jam due to his freak athleticism), and he has a nice fadeaway from the mid-range and is a good shooter off the catch from downtown.
You could never take your eyes off Flagg, as he was always due to throw down a wild dunk, hit a big shot when Duke needed it most, or drop a beautiful dime to a teammate, but his offense isn’t even the best part of his game.
On the other end of the floor is where Flagg really makes his money.
Flagg is a world-class defender who can guard one through five at a high level and plays with a tenacity that is unmatched. He is also an elite shot blocker from the help side and plays hard on every possession. Duke fans watched his elite defense on a nightly basis, as he blocked anything that came his way, and he is someone who would thrive in Jason Kidd’s system due to his versatility and communication.
If the Mavericks do indeed draft Flagg, they’d form one of the best trios in the NBA with Irving, Davis, and Flagg, and Harrison’s “defense wins championships” mindset would be put to the test right away. Dallas would be adding the best defender in the draft to an already-elite defensive team, and opposing teams would be shaking in their boots when they saw Flagg, Davis, and Dereck Lively II all sharing the floor together.
Mavericks fans felt hopeless after the Doncic trade, and some of that hope has quickly rushed back into the city with Dallas having the chance to make history. This was the first time in franchise history that the team has moved up in the NBA Draft Lottery, and it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.
