The 2025 NBA Draft came and went, with the top of the draft playing out exactly as expected. One player is expected to tell the story of the whole draft. Cooper Flagg going first overall to the Dallas Mavericks has put in motion what many expect to be one of the best careers in recent NBA history, if everything goes according to plan.
Flagg has been one of the most talked-about non-NBA players since he was in high school. It was clear from an early age that his future was incredibly bright. That has come to fruition, and he can help re-shape the Mavericks franchise. He will certainly have plenty of help, with Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson already on the roster. That should set the team up for wins, even if it means Flagg takes a backseat.
Cooper Flagg knows he won’t be the main option in Dallas from the get-go
During his introductory press conference, Flagg spoke about joining what is already a talented roster in Dallas. He doesn’t see himself coming in and being the team’s star from the get-go.
“I’m just looking forward to being a sponge. Just getting down here, I’m excited to just learn, soak it all in and learn from the guys that are older and have been through it all before. Those guys have so much knowledge. They’ve been through so much, and they have so much experience that it’s just going to be an incredible opportunity for me to learn and grow under them.“
The No. 1 overall pick would generally go to a less-talented team with fewer stars. Flagg will have to earn his role as a primary option, and it sounds like he knows that.
“Looking at the roster, we can play a really good brand of positionless basketball with a lot of guys that can do a lot of different things. So I think that would be one of the biggest strengths. Just trying to play to that and just doing whatever I can to help the team win.“
While some fans took his comments as him relinquishing being the “main guy”, it’s another feather in his cap as a teammate. He has always been about the team over himself, which was apparent in his lone season at Duke.
Flagg may not put up superstar numbers from the beginning, since he’ll have to share the ball plenty, but there’s little doubt that it will come eventually.
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