Presumptive No. 1 2025 NBA Draft pick Cooper Flagg’s camp seemingly thinks he’ll reinvigorate the Dallas Mavericks immediately, but it could be in for a reality check.
Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer has suggested the 6-foot-9, 205-pound forward could become an instant game-changer for the Mavericks, assuming they take him in the first round of the draft on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.
“Dallas has been lucky for so many years,” Scheyer said, per ESPN’s Baxter Holmes. “They’ve been able to watch [Dirk Nowitzki], [Luka Doncic] — so many winning teams. Now, you’ve got a guy in Cooper, who I think will carry that tradition forward.”
Carrying that tradition, though, could become a burden for Flagg during his rookie season.
The Mavericks have star guard Kyrie Irving, but he tore the ACL in his left knee in March and may not return until January 2026.
Mavericks forward Anthony Davis — who has played in 75 regular-season games or more three times in 13 seasons — is also injury-prone. After the Mavericks dealt star guard Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Davis in February, he played in nine regular-season games for Dallas because of groin, thigh, adductor and abdomen issues.
If Davis and Irving miss significant time, Flagg may have to carry the Mavericks, and a surging Western Conference would only amplify that challenge.
The Oklahoma City Thunder won the 2024-25 championship and has a strong chance to repeat. As of Tuesday, FanDuel Sportsbook gives Oklahoma City the best odds (+210) to win the 2025-26 title.
The Minnesota Timberwolves could be on the verge of something big after consecutive Western Conference Finals appearances, and the Houston Rockets likely improved their championship chances after adding forward Kevin Durant in a blockbuster trade with the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.
Let’s not forget about Doncic and the Lakers. The five-time All-Star is still probably salty about the trade from Dallas, which may fuel him next season.
Dallas, meanwhile, regressed last season after making the 2024 NBA Finals. It went 39-43 in the regular season, and the Memphis Grizzlies eliminated it in the play-in tournament.
Flagg — who averaged 19.6 points per game in 37 games in one season at Duke — is widely considered a rare prospect. Brian Scalabrine, who played 11 seasons in the NBA and is Flagg’s trainer, said his basketball IQ is “on par” with Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, per NBC News’ Rohan Nadkarni and Olympia Sonnier.
James, however, didn’t lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to the playoffs after they selected him with the No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft. Flagg may not guide the Mavericks to the postseason either, especially with his camp seeming unaware of the situation he’s entering.
