Cooper Flagg was not supposed to be in this year’s NBA Draft.
Originally in line to graduate from high school in 2025, the basketball phenom reclassified two summers ago in order to become college-eligible a year earlier.
“A quote my mom likes to say a lot: ‘If you’re the best player in the gym, then you need to find a new gym,’” Flagg said on the eve of the draft. “For me, it was thinking about what I had left to do in high school and how that would push me to become a better player. For me, that decision wasn’t too hard.”
That decision proved to be a wise one.
The Dallas Mavericks drafted Flagg out of Duke with the No. 1 pick in Wednesday night’s first round at Barclays Center, securing a new franchise cornerstone some five months after they traded away Luka Doncic.
The selection fulfilled a years-long expectation that Flagg — with a generational blend of size, athleticism and play-making prowess — would become a first-overall pick.
“This is stuff I’ve dreamed about since I was a little kid,” said Flagg, a native of Newport, Maine. “I think being here is surreal. I don’t think it’s really set in yet or anything, but I’m just trying to go through each moment and enjoy it.”
Flagg, 18, lived up to the sky-high hype during his lone season at Duke, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals per game, all of which led the Blue Devils.
The 6-9 forward was the offensive and defensive focal point of a talent-laden Duke team that went 35-4, won the ACC and advanced to the Final Four. He became the fourth freshman to win Naismith National Player of the Year.
“It would be hard for me to imagine Cooper going through a season with a lot of losing,” Duke head coach Jon Scheyer told ESPN in a recent feature.
The sweepstakes to draft Flagg fueled extra attention around cellar-dwelling teams including the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets and Nets, each of whom would benefit from the addition of a can’t-miss prospect.
But it was the Mavericks, with 1.8% odds, who won the draft lottery and landed the much-coveted top pick.
The stunning stroke of good fortune served as something of a mulligan for the Mavs, who shocked the sports world and alienated their fan base when they traded Doncic, then 25, to the Los Angeles Lakers eight months after he led them to the NBA Finals.
The trade backfired in the short term. Anthony Davis, the main piece in Dallas’ return for Doncic, suffered an adductor strain in his first game after the trade, while Kyrie Irving, who became the Mavs’ primary point guard, suffered a torn ACL. The Mavericks finished 39-43 and were eliminated in the play-in tournament.
Their odds were the fourth-lowest of any team to win the lottery since the system began in 1985.
“Dallas wasn’t even on our bingo card,” Flagg’s father, Ralph, told ESPN.
The Mavericks are an ideal landing spot for Flagg, who won’t have to be their go-to option right away. They are set to return a star-powered veteran core of Irving, Davis and Klay Thompson, along with a supporting cast of Derrick Lively, Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington that was part of Dallas’ 2024 Finals run.
Naturally, Flagg will be viewed as Doncic’s replacement. But Flagg doesn’t see it that way.
“I wouldn’t look at anything as pressure,” Flagg said, adding, “I’m gonna push myself to be better and better every single day and make the most out of every day. I’m not worried about living up to certain players’ expectations or things like that. I’m just gonna be myself.”
Flagg enters the NBA as one of the most-hyped prospects of the last decade, a list that also includes Zion Williamson and Victor Wembanyama.
Analysts have compared the do-it-all Flagg to Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Pippen.
“I personally think that he wants to be great,” LeBron James, the only No. 1 pick who was younger than Flagg, said on his “Mind the Game” podcast.
“He had a hell of a year at Duke. A guy that can do so many different things out on the floor. Can play with the ball, can play without the ball. His jump shot is going to continue to get better. Super athletic, quick second jump.”
Flagg hears the hype — and he doesn’t shy away from the expectations that come with it.
“People having opinions on you and your life and everything about you is definitely tough,” Flagg said. “But for me, it’s a lot of motivation, hearing people saying good things, even bad things. Hearing people talk about you is a good thing no matter what.”
