Since high school, Cooper Flagg has been seen as a likely first pick in this year’s NBA Draft, and now it seems he might have a destination in mind.
The Dallas Mavericks emerged victorious in the NBA Draft Lottery on Monday, securing the first overall selection. Remarkably, they had just an 8.5% chance of landing in the top four and only a 1.8% shot at winning the lottery itself.
The Mavs’ season took a downturn when they traded Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers, which stirred quite a bit of discontent among fans towards general manager Nico Harrison, who faces pressure to boost performance for the remainder of the season. However, things suddenly appear to have turned around for Dallas.
The Utah Jazz, despite having the league’s worst record at 17-65, were expected to have the best odds for high picks but ultimately fell to fifth. It’s worth noting that since changes to the NBA’s lottery system in 2019, the team with the top odds has never actually secured the first pick.
Cooper Flagg has raised his expectations significantly after declaring for Duke out of high school, and he certainly delivered on that promise. Leading Duke in nearly all statistical categories this season—points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks—he averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. A standout moment came in January when he set a record for ACC Freshmen with a 42-point performance against Notre Dame.
Flagg made it to the semi-finals in the NCAA Men’s Tournament and earned the 2025 Nice Miss Player of the Year Award, joining the ranks of legendary freshmen like Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, and Zion Williamson. Unfortunately, his Blue Devils were unable to secure a win, losing a close game to Houston, who went on to triumph against Florida in the national championship.
The NBA Draft is set for June 25th, which will confirm where Flagg will be headed next.
