Having beaten long odds to win the top pick in next month’s NBA draft — and blessed with an obvious candidate to become the No. 1 selection — the Dallas Mavericks reportedly aren’t planning to use it as a trade chip.
The Mavericks have their sights set on 18-year-old forward Cooper Flagg, who led Duke to the Final Four in his only season with the Blue Devils, as ESPN on Tuesday cited sources that indicated Dallas isn’t interested in trading the pick.
Patrick Dumont, the Mavericks’ representative on the NBA’s Board of Governors, appears to have the final say on personnel matters, sources said, and he looks upon the 6-foot-8 Flagg, who piled up numerous awards at Duke, as a “gift.”
If Flagg’s prowess and promise weren’t enough of a lure for the franchise – especially general manager Nico Harrison — that traded away superstar Luke Doncic, Dallas no longer controls its first-round draft selections from 2027-30. That draft capital went toward building the roster that advanced to the 2024 NBA Finals.
Flagg, a first-team All-American, also won the Wooden Award as the nation’s top collegiate player and the Associated Press’ national player of the year. At Duke, he averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. He shot 48.1 percent from the floor, including 38.5 percent on 3-pointers.
Said Mavericks CEO Rick Welts of Flagg: “I don’t know who we’re going to take, but should we take him, I think his résumé is pretty strong. Every time he’s put in a situation that everyone wondered if he could succeed, he’s succeeded and then some.”
Dallas had just a 1.8 percent chance to win the top pick during the NBA’s draft lottery, which was conducted on Monday. The draft will be held June 25-26 in New York.
