Cooper Flagg is the uncommon NBA prospect who could be a fantastic match on any staff. Flagg proved he can excel in a high-usage, on-ball position offensively throughout his one season at Duke, however he doesn’t want the ball to make an affect. The Maine native constructed as fame as a generational expertise for every part he does away from the ball, with phenomenal instincts as a assist defender and a sixth-sense for forcing turnovers, paired with reducing, spacing, and good ball motion as a complementary offensive participant when he’s not appearing as his staff’s lead engine.
Nonetheless, some organizations have been higher ready to construct round Flagg than others coming into the 2025 NBA Draft lottery. The concept of the Dallas Mavericks successful the lottery from the No. 11 spot with a 1.8 % was nearly too far-fetched to entertain. Now it’s a actuality.
The Mavericks’ stunning win within the lottery is sending the NBA right into a tail-spin. Dallas was the laughingstock of the NBA after their horrible Luka Doncic commerce, inflicting a revolt contained in the fanbase whereas lead government Nico Harrison turned the largest punchline in sports activities. The Mavs at the moment are arrange with an excellent higher future face of the franchise than Doncic, however Flagg’s arrival additionally brings a whole lot of powerful questions.
Groups that “win” the No. 1 choose are often constructing with the long run in thoughts. As a substitute, Dallas is already all-in on the current. They traded most of their future draft picks away to construct round Doncic, and after Harrison determined to commerce him, Dallas is now all-in on a few growing old veterans in Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis. Irving tore his ACL shortly after the Doncic commerce, and can probably miss all of subsequent season.
Harrison staked his fame on the Doncic-Davis swap, saying “time will inform if I’m proper.” As a substitute, the lottery outcomes bailed him out earlier than the league ever bought an opportunity to seek out out. We’ve seen so many groups fumble a generational expertise at No. 1 within the draft earlier than. Right here’s a highway map for the way the Mavs ought to act after lucking out into Flagg.
Hearth Nico Harrison
It isn’t essentially a nasty factor that Nico Harrison has an enormous ego. He probably by no means would have rose to his place of energy at Nike or with the Mavs with out believing so totally in his personal grand imaginative and prescient. After successful the lottery for the Flagg, although, Harrison’s ego threatens to undercut the perfect long-term pursuits of his new franchise star.
The Mavs ought to have fired Harrison earlier than he made the Doncic for Davis swap. He ought to have been fired once more on the finish of the season given the disastrous outcomes of a commerce that took Dallas from the NBA Finals to the lottery. By some means, every part labored out for Mavs followers, however the one method to construct round Flagg is to begin by firing Harrison.
Harrison’s heels are manner too dug in to make unbiased selections. That is now Flagg’s franchise, and his two finest teammates in Davis and Irving don’t match his timeline. Harrison stated he made the Doncic commerce as a result of he believed it elevated the Mavs’ championship odds for this season. Clearly, that fully blew up in his face. At this level, Dallas must ditch its flawed current and prioritize its future. Harrison is simply too biased to be trusted to do this.
Commerce Anthony Davis
The Mavs’ finest transfer was buying and selling Anthony Davis from the second Irving went down with damage. Irving will flip 34 years previous in March, and he’s prone to stay sidelined till then as he rehabs his torn ACL. Davis isn’t any spring rooster both at age-32, and he deserves to be spending the top of his prime enjoying for a contender. Dallas, even with Flagg, isn’t going to noticeably compete for something subsequent season with Kyrie sidelined.
Davis has two extra seasons below contract plus a player-option for $62.7 million in 2027-28. It’s exhausting to say what the market would appear like for an injury-prone star at his age, however hey, we simply noticed Davis get traded for Luka freakin’ Doncic, so possibly his worth across the league shouldn’t be doubted. Getting off Davis for future property would give the Mavs extra ammo to construct a fantastic staff when Flagg is in his prime. That’s not going to occur for years for a participant who doesn’t flip 19 years previous till Dec.
The concept of buying and selling for Davis was wildly daring on the time. It was a failure as soon as Irving bought injured, and he’ll by no means have higher commerce worth once more than he does proper now.
Begin to rebuild the asset base for the lengthy haul
The Mavs don’t management their first-round draft choose from 2027-2030. Dallas’ 2027 choose was despatched to Charlotte for PJ Washington, the Thunder have swap rights on their 2028 choose, the 2029 choose will probably be swapped with Houston or Brooklyn, and the 2030 is owed to San Antonio or Minnesota. Dallas does have a bonus Lakers choose in 2029 from the Luka commerce, however that isn’t sufficient to construct round a participant like Flagg.
In a possible AD commerce, Dallas ought to clearly be searching for picks and younger gamers. The Mavs take pleasure in taking picks years into the long run as a result of Flagg is so younger, and so they can all the time commerce these picks for gamers as Flagg develops.
The final time the Mavs landed landed a generational expertise in Doncic, they rushed to commerce picks for Kristaps Porzingis to provide Luka an opportunity to win early in his tenure. Harrison did an outstanding job of digging his manner out of that deal, beginning with the Irving commerce, the Dereck Energetic II choose, free agent signings like Derrick Jones Jr., and subsequent offers for Washington and Daniel Gafford.
Dallas doesn’t have to make issues as tough this time round. They need to attempt to get as many bites on the apple as attainable, partly as a result of these future picks might be finally be dealt to get Flagg a co-star that matches his timeline.
The Mavs ought to prioritize Flagg and Energetic within the entrance courtroom. They need to search to take fliers on younger offensively-tilted lead guards who different groups would possibly low cost for his or her defensive limitations (Flagg and Energetic can deal with the protection). Gamers like Gafford and Washington must be flipped for property, too, and it is smart to commerce Irving as properly as soon as he proves he’s wholesome.
Flagg grew up a diehard Boston Celtics fan. Dallas was spoiled with Dirk Nowitzki’s loyalty, and it positive looks as if Doncic needed to spend his entire profession there, too. They shouldn’t guess on that taking place once more with Flagg. If the Mavs can’t construct a winner round him, he appears extra prone to go discover one other staff that may both in a commerce or in free company. The catastrophe state of affairs of Flagg signing with the Celtics initially of his prime ought to scare the Mavs prioritizing his future now somewhat than Harrison’s ego.
The Mavs made a really shortsighted commerce by dealing away Doncic. They will’t make the identical errors with Flagg, and that begins with firing Nico and constructing for Flagg’s prime at the price of no matter this Mavs’ present core is price.