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Dallas Mavericks used the first election of the 2025 NBA draft to choose the former Duke Superstar Cooper Flagg.
Flagg is now the first white American to have been prepared with the first overall choice since Kent Benson in 1977, according to Pat Forde from Sports Illustrated.
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June 25, 2025; Brooklyn, Ny, USA; Cooper Flagg arrives before the first round of 2025 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. (Brad Penner-Preferred Pictures)
Flagg was the consensus -top picking, which went into this year’s draft process after having one of the most electrical beginner years in college basketball history this last season. Flagg was the top ranked recruiter in the nation when he committed to Duke in October 2023 and led Blue Devils all the way to Final Four.
He earned consensus first team of all-American honors and became the first duchy player to do so since Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett in 2019. Flagg also secured both ACC Player and Rookie of the Year Awards, a business achieved by only another Duke player earlier (Williamson).
His first-year season also included Breaking the Duke and ACC Single-Game Freshman Scoring Record with 42 points in a January victory against Notre Dame.
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File – Duchy pre -playing Cooper Flagg celebrates after scoring Houston during the second half of the National Semi -finals at Final Four by NCAA College Basketball Tournament, Saturday 5 April 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)
Meanwhile, Mavericks ended up with the rights to choose flagg after a controversial and questionable draft of Lottery that took place on May 12. Dallas ended up winning the first overall election in the draft despite having only a 1.8% chance of getting the top election after completing the season with a 39-43 record.
The team had the 11th best odds of winning the lottery, but mysteriously run with # 1 election. The lottery came months after Mavericks made a questionable trade to send superstar Luka Doncic to LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first round election in 2029, which many experts considered well-loaded value for Doncic.
April 5, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils Forward Cooper Flagg (2) responds after a three -point basket against Houston Cougars during the first half of the semi -finals of the gentlemen’s last four of the 2025 NCAA tournament on Alamodome. (Bob Donnan-Preferred Pictures)
James Hyped up Flagg’s future in the latest edition of the “Mind the Game” podcast, hosting James and Hall of Famer Steve Nash.
“I personally think he wants to be big. He had a hell of a year with Duke. A guy who can do so many different things out on the floor. Can play with the ball, can play without the ball. His jump shot will continue to get better,” James said.
