Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks
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It appeared as if the Mavericks had a short window of relevancy and championship contention following the trade of Doncic, but that changed once the ping pong balls fell their way — leading to the selection of No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg. The Duke freshman will join Christie and Dereck Lively II as the franchise’s core of the future.
LeBron James was interested in joining Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and Duke Blue Devils basketball's Cooper Flagg on the Dallas Mavericks before opting into his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Dallas Mavericks were among the first teams to shut down a top pick during NBA Summer League, pulling No. 1 overall selection Cooper Flagg after just two appearances in Las Vegas.
To add to the accolades, Flagg won ESPN’s ESPY award for the 2025 Best Male College Athlete on Wednesday afternoon. 🏀 @DukeMBB ➡️ @dallasmavs @Cooper_Flagg takes home the @ESPYS Best College Athlete - Men's Sports award! 🏆 @MarchMadnessMBB x @MFinalFour pic.twitter.com/7jYKl1r0BK
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Cooper Flagg may not have been happy with his professional debut in the NBA Summer League, but he still drew some rave reviews afterward.