In a move that comes as little surprise, Duke University freshman forward Cooper Flagg has been selected first overall in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks.
The Mavericks won the lottery for the draft months ago, giving them the rights to select a generational talent in Flagg.
It’s hardly shocking that the Mavericks made this move. Flagg had been pegged as the top pick in this year’s draft class ever since he re-classified to the Class of 2025 to join Duke a year early.
Now, months after engineering one of the most earth-shattering trades in NBA history, Mavericks GM Nico Harrison didn’t surprise anyone and went with the easy choice in Flagg. However, many NBA fans took issue with Dallas winning the lottery after owning such low odds – with one fan heard screaming ‘Dallas was rigged!’ on the ESPN broadcast.
Flagg, a native of Newport, Maine, is the clearest-cut first-overall pick since Victor Wembanyama and the most obvious American first-overall pick since fellow Duke star Zion Williamson in 2019. He’s also the first white American to be taken first-overall in 48 years.
In college, Flagg was named National Player of the Year, was a consensus first-team All-American, and led the Blue Devils to the Final Four.
The Dallas Mavericks didn’t surprise anyone by picking Cooper Flagg first in the NBA Draft
Flagg, a Maine native and star at Duke University, had long been projected to go first overall
He became the first white American player taken first in the NBA Draft in 48 years
Unfortunately for Flagg, he missed Duke’s final shot of the game to blow a massive lead to Houston and failed to advance to the national title game.
Months after that loss, the Mavericks won the lottery under dubious circumstances – with many conspiracy theories popping up after Dallas was victorious despite a 1.8 percent chance of taking the top pick.
His arrival gives new hope to a Mavericks team and fanbase still reeling from the Luka Doncic trade back in February.
Losing Doncic led to the Mavs missing out of the playoffs and many Dallas fans calling for Harrison to be fired.
Now, Flagg will form an elite trio with Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis.
However, Irving’s long-term future with the team remains up in the air as he’s in talks with the team on a contract extension.
Prior to the draft beginning, Flagg and other top prospects in the NBA Draft took to the red carpet – showing off their style on one of the league’s biggest nights of the year.
Flagg arrived in a dark navy suit paired with a white shirt, black tie, and an expensive looking watch.
After Flagg’s selection, Rutgers guard Dylan Harper was picked second by the Spurs
After taking interviews with reporters, he made his way inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn to achieve his crowning moment in front of an international television audience.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced the official choice at 8:10pm ET, marking a new era in Mavericks basketball.
Flagg, alongside his parents, put a Dallas cap on and walked on stage to meet his moment in front of a packed arena and likely millions watching around the world.
Flagg’s selection was obvious, but for months mock drafts projected a pair of Rutgers stars would follow behind him.
Guard Dylan Harper had long been believed to be the second-overall pick, with teammate forward Ace Bailey right behind him at third overall.
However, in the weeks leading up to the draft, questions surrounding Bailey began to pop up when he became the only American draft prospect to not take a meeting with any NBA teams.
He cancelled a workout with the Philadelphia 76ers, the team with the third overall pick, leading many to wonder if the swingman may fall down the draft board – potentially in a manner similar to that of Shedeur Sanders in the NFL Draft.
Harper, for what it’s worth, did not have any surprises come his way – with the San Antonio Spurs selecting him second overall.
Harper’s Rutgers teammate, Ace Bailey, had been projected months ago to be the third pick
But after Bailey cancelled meetings with many teams, the 76ers took VJ Edgecombe instead
While Rutgers did not make the NCAA Tournament, Harper’s on-court play was phenomenal as he averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game.
An elite scorer ant two-way player, Harper showed bright spots throughout the season and was tabbed by many as the best guard in the draft class.
As time ticked on, the tension built around Bailey’s selection. His camp tabbed him as top-three pick, but this was his last chance to match those expectations.
It never came. The 76ers, possibly put off by Bailey’s bold choice, took the equally talented Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe with the third overall pick.
Edgecombe overcame injury early in his freshman season at Baylor to drop 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists.
But that meant shock and for Bailey, who was likely to not be taken by the Charlotte Hornets, the team with pick No. 4.
With that pick, the Hornets took Flagg’s Duke teammate Kon Knueppel – an elite and consistent shooting guard.
Bailey’s fall proved to only be small, with the Utah Jazz eventually selecting him fifth overall. Despite his blasé attitude toward meeting with teams, Bailey’s ability is clear – averaging 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
Bailey didn’t fall too far down the draft boards, eventually picked fifth overall by Utah
Bailey (L) and Harper (R) made Rutgers the first school with two top-5 NBA picks since 2019
With the selections of Bailey and Harper, Rutgers became the first school to have two players taken in the top-5 of the NBA Draft since 2019 – when Duke saw Zion Williamson (1st overall, New Orleans Pelicans) and RJ Barrett (3rd overall, New York Knicks) get chosen early.
Rounding out the top-10, the Washington Wizards took star Texas freshman guard Tre Johnson sixth overall. After him, the Pelicans drafted Jeremiah Fears from Oklahoma – adding a ninth guard to their roster.
The Brooklyn Nets had the first truly shocking pick of the night when they selected Egor Demin out of BYU.
MORE TO FOLLOW.