For nearly two years, basketball insiders believed Cooper Flagg would be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. What no one expected, however, was where he’d land. One of the most shocking lottery results in decades, the Mavericks—who entered the night with just a 1.8% chance of winning—jumped ten spots to claim the top pick. The announcement sent ripples through the NBA. Dallas, stumbling from the midseason trade of superstar Luka Dončić.
Flagg, 18, had been under the spotlight for years. From Newport, Maine, he dominated at Nokomis High School before transferring to powerhouse Montverde Academy in Florida. By age 13, he was training with NBA veteran Brian Scalabrine. At 17, he was scrimmaging against LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Jayson Tatum as part of USA Basketball’s Select Team. His maturity and basketball IQ stood out—coaches and teammates praised his defensive instincts, playmaking, and relentless competitiveness.
At Duke, Flagg led the Blue Devils to a Final Four, averaging over 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in the NCAA Tournament. But it was his ability to impact winning without needing to dominate the ball that made him so intriguing to NBA scouts.
Now, instead of trying to lift a struggling franchise, Flagg will join a Mavericks team with veterans, including Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and fellow Duke alum Dereck Lively II. The challenge won’t be carrying a team from the bottom—it will be complementing stars and chasing wins immediately. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd and Flagg’s inner circle agree: the rookie’s humility, curiosity, and relentless work ethic will serve him well.
In the days following the lottery, Dallas saw $8 million in new season ticket sales and revived interest from sponsors. “He’s already changing things,” one team executive said.
Many prospects have entered the league with hype. Few have been handed this kind of immediate spotlight. Cooper Flagg isn’t just a top pick—he’s being positioned as a franchise-changer on a team already chasing banners. The expectations are enormous, whether he meets those expectations and how soon is yet to be seen. But no doubt, in one of the wildest draft twists in NBA history, the Mavericks didn’t just get lucky—they landed the most intriguing prospect the league has seen in over a decade.