As arguably the most promising American prospect since LeBron James, the spotlight would have shined brightly on Cooper Flagg regardless of his draft destination. Flagg landing on the Dallas Mavericks, following their unprecedented stroke of lottery luck in the wake of a season of shocking change, only adds to the intrigue. It also puts Flagg in the rare position of being a No. 1 pick who could contribute to a winning team as a rookie.
“We’re in win-now mode, and so he adds to that, but he’s also the future of the franchise,” Mavs general manager Nico Harrison said at Flagg’s introductory news conference in July. How much will the Mavs win in Flagg’s rookie season and beyond with the current core of aging future Hall of Famers? How soon before he’s an All-Star? Are MVP awards and championships in Flagg’s future?
Our panel — composed of ESPN writers, reporters, editors and analysts — forecasts that and more as Flagg prepares for his first NBA training camp.
Flagg and the Mavericks will finish _______ in 2025-26
A trick trivia question: Who was the last No. 1 pick to play in the playoffs as a rookie?
It’s actually a tie: Markelle Fultz and Ben Simmons did it together with the 2017-18 Philadelphia 76ers. “The Process” finally paid playoff dividends during Simmons’ redshirt rookie season, when the biggest factor in Philadelphia’s leap from 28 to 52 wins was Joel Embiid playing more than twice as many games as he did during his first three years in the NBA combined.
So, yes, a unique set of circumstances is required for a No. 1 pick to get such an early taste of playoff action. Well, Flagg plays for the Mavericks — a franchise, months removed from an NBA Finals run at the time, that dumped a perennial MVP contender entering his prime in a trade the GM proclaimed to be a win-now move, then limped into the lottery and cashed in 1.8% odds to land the top pick. That qualifies as unique.
Flagg is projected to be an instant starter, but he won’t be expected to carry the team as a rookie surrounded by accomplished veterans, most prominently former No. 1 pick and 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis, who was the headliner in the return package for Luka Doncic.
The biggest factor in the Mavs’ playoff positioning, or lack thereof, could be the impact made by another former No. 1 pick and future Hall of Famer. When will Kyrie Irving return from his torn left ACL? If it’s this season, can he return to All-Star form for a team that needs his offensive creation? — Tim MacMahon
