Mavericks Pick Cooper Flagg First Overall in 2025 NBA Draft

The Dallas Mavericks have selected Cooper Flagg, a former Duke standout, as the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde noted that Flagg is the first white American to be chosen first overall since Kent Benson in 1977.

Flagg has made headlines after a remarkable freshman year that some are calling one of the best in college basketball history. He was a highly ranked recruit when he decided to join Duke in October 2023, ultimately leading the Blue Devils to the Final Four.

Interestingly, he’s the first Duke player to achieve both the ACC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards since Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett in 2019.

During his freshman season, Flagg shattered the single-game freshman scoring record for both Duke and the ACC, amassing an impressive 42 points in a game against Notre Dame.

As for the Mavericks, they secured the opportunity to draft Flagg following a rather controversial and puzzling lottery event on May 12. Despite having only a 1.8% chance of landing the top pick, Dallas emerged victorious, even though they finished the season with a 39-43 record.

The team was in 11th place for lottery odds but somehow managed to snag that number one choice. This came on the heels of a questionable trade that sent their star player, Luka Dončić, to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for a future first-round pick.

LeBron James spoke positively about Flagg on the latest episode of the “Mind the Game” podcast, co-hosted by Hall of Famer Steve Nash. James emphasized Flagg’s versatility, mentioning, “I think he wants to be great. He spent a year at Duke and he can do so many different things on the floor.” He added that Flagg’s shooting skills are continuously improving.