Seen as one of the most exciting prospects in recent years, there is little doubt that he will take the NBA by storm. But who exactly is Cooper Flagg?
Freshman year at Duke
Currently standing at 6-foot-9, Flagg starred at the High School level with Nokomis Regional and Montverde Academy, where he became the first freshman to be named the Maine Gatorade Player of the Year while playing for the former. After his sophomore year, he reclassified to the 2024 recruiting class.
He had no doubt that leaving High School a year early was the right thing.
Speaking ahead of the NBA Draft about that decision, Flagg said: "A quote my mom likes to say a lot: 'If you're the best player in the gym, then you need to find a new gym.'"
Before he even made his first college appearance, Flagg was called up to the Select Team to face Team USA to help them prepare for the 2024 Summer Olympics. His performances drew huge praise, and he was apparently the standout star on a team of players who were all at least four years older than him and had been in the NBA for at least one season.
Speaking on his Mind the Game podcast just this week, LeBron James was full of praise for how Flagg performed against a USA team that possessed the likes of himself, Steph Curry, and Anthony Davis.
"He is a big-time talent... He’s a winner… He just makes winning plays… I just thought he played the game the right way,” LeBron said.
Despite an offer from UConn, the forward chose to move to Duke at the age of 17. The teenager enjoyed a sensational season, guiding Duke to the ACC regular season title, before going on to beat Louisville in the championship game.
On the path to the championship, he had a record-breaking performance against Notre Dame in January. Flagg scored 42 points to go alongside his six rebounds and seven assists, shooting 11/14 from the field. This was a freshman scoring record not just for Duke, but the entirety of the ACC.
He then led Duke, a top-seeded team on the East side of the NCAA tournament bracket, reach the Final Four for the first time in three years, in which he averaged 21 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 5.0 assists.
Despite registering 27 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks, they eventually lost 70-67 to Houston in the Final Four.
Overall, during his year at Duke, he averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game.
As a result, he was named ACC Player of the Year and National Freshman of the Year, was in the All-ACC Defensive Team, and swept all the National Player of the Year awards.
What will he bring to the Mavericks?
The fact of the matter is, despite being 18 years old, Flagg is ready to come into the Mavs' lineup and make an impact.
What makes Flagg so special is how well-rounded he is and how good he is at pretty much everything. While he has room for improvement in the offensive department - namely, shot creation and ball handling - his average of 19.2 points last season was still impressive. The young superstar shot 48.1% from the field and 38.5% from the three-point line, and that efficiency certainly means he will be able to space the floor in the NBA.
His playmaking is a massive strength, and averaging 4.2 assists from the forward position last season illustrates that. Flagg is a supreme passer, and with more quality around him at Dallas and as he improves his scoring, his playmaking will soar too.
But without doubt, what stands out about Flagg is his defence. And for a team whose General Manager, Nico Harrison, traded away their generational talent superstar Luka Doncic because 'defence wins championships', he will certainly fit the style of basketball the Mavs will be looking to play.
He is a phenomenal defender and extremely versatile. He has fast hands and can do defensive work around the hoop as well as on the perimeter. He is capable of guarding anyone from the one to the four.
He also had 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals last season and was a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year.
The right man at the right time
Last season will have felt like some sick fever dream for Dallas Mavericks fans. After reaching the NBA finals in 2024, they went into the following campaign as one of the main contenders for the title.
However, shocking injury woes and the even more shocking trade of Doncic saw things unravel in dramatic fashion, and consequently, the fanbase started to become disillusioned with the franchise following the loss of their much-adored superstar.
Anger and hatred were directed towards Harrison, and fans struggled to see a light at the end of the tunnel.
They needed something to spark them back into life and give them hope for the upcoming season. Or someone...
That someone was Cooper Flagg. The Mavericks and Harrison received a huge slice of luck to bring the fans back on board. He is the right man at the right time for Mavs supporters, and much like Doncic when they acquired him as a rookie, they have someone new to fall in love with as they watch him grow into potentially one of the best players in the NBA.
He isn't feeling any pressure having to follow in the footsteps of the Slovenian, though.
"I wouldn't look at anything as pressure," Flagg told reporters.
"I'm not worried about living up to certain players’ expectations or things like that. I'm just going to be myself and really try to get better every single day that I can."
It is also a good move for Flagg himself. Despite the Mavs being in an astonishingly competitive and jam-packed Western Conference, they remain ambitious. Just two seasons ago, they reached the NBA Finals, and Harrison is attempting to build a win-now team.
When everyone is fit, they have a strong team that will have hopes of going on a playoff run, so Flagg should get postseason experience in his very first season.
He is also arriving in a team led by former Dallas star and Hall of Famer Jason Kidd - whose biggest strength is perhaps not his X's and O's coaching, but rather his ability to create an environment that players enjoy, and consequently, he gets the best out of everyone. That should be perfect for Flagg.
In addition, usually, a number one pick comes into a pretty poor team and instantly has huge pressure on his shoulders to be one of the best players. But this is one of the rare cases where he is joining a side that has plenty of quality and future Hall of Famers, so he can take his time to settle into the NBA and doesn't need to worry about shouldering a heavy burden.
"(Flagg) has the benefit - unlike myself - he gets to join a team that’s established with Hall of Fame guys,” LeBron said.
He will get to play alongside the likes of Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, and Davis, which will be immense for his development and is frankly a dream for a young player.
He is the right man at the right time. Cooper Flagg is set to fly in Dallas.