Dallas Mavericks Make Big Cooper Flagg Decision Ahead of NBA Draft

While the NBA Finals are currently commanding most of the spotlight, the 2025 NBA draft is quickly approaching, set to take place on June 25 in Brooklyn, New York.

This year’s draft lottery delivered a dramatic twist, as the Dallas Mavericks—despite making the play-in tournament and holding just a 1.8% chance—miraculously landed the No. 1 overall pick.

That surprise outcome has now put Dallas in prime position to select Duke phenom Cooper Flagg, widely considered the consensus No. 1 overall pick. A versatile two-way star, Flagg has the tools to impact every facet of the game and is viewed by many as a franchise-changing talent.

Now, just weeks away from draft night, the Mavericks have reportedly made a major move toward that possibility. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Dallas is set to bring in Flagg for a pre-draft visit—a strong indication that selecting him first overall is a near certainty. 

Cooper Flagg has been widely projected as the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft class since before he even stepped on the court at Duke—and remarkably, he managed to exceed the sky-high expectations placed on him.

In his lone season with the Blue Devils, Flagg captured both the Wooden Award and the Naismith Player of the Year honors. He was also named ACC Player of the Year and ACC Freshman of the Year, leading Duke in points (19.2), rebounds (7.5), assists (4.2), steals (1.4), and blocks (1.4)—a rare and dominant all-around showing.

Former Duke star forward Cooper Flagg talks to the media during the 2025 NBA Draft Combine

David Banks-Imagn Images

Although Duke fell short in the Final Four, Flagg’s transition from the college season to the NBA spotlight was swift. He was in attendance for the draft lottery and admitted he was surprised to see the Mavericks land the No. 1 overall pick. 

Still, he acknowledged the excitement of potentially joining a roster that includes fellow former Blue Devil Dereck Lively II and star guard Kyrie Irving.

“I saw the teams just like everybody else, but I feel like it was kind of a crazy sequence of events,” Flagg said from the NBA Draft Combine. “... I was surprised like a lot of people.”

He continued, "They got a lot of really good pieces, D-Live from Duke. That’s pretty cool,” Flagg said. “I think it’ll be a really good opportunity.”