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Cooper Flagg Shares Honest Reaction on Playing With Future Hall of Famers on the Mavericks

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Orlando Silva | Last updated Jun 27, 2025 2:57 PM ET

Cooper Flagg touched down in Dallas after being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. This was a given after the Mavericks landed the top pick in the two-night event, despite having only a 1.8% chance to win the lottery.

Flagg, who spent only a season with the Duke Blue Devils, is set to take his game to the next level in Dallas. After averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 48.1% from the field, 38.5% from deep and 84% from distance, Flagg was considered the greatest freshman in the program's history by none other than Mike Krzyzewski.

The 39-43 Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in a move that many fans are still getting over. The move worked for them, as they landed the first overall selection in the draft. They need to make all the pieces work so the team can enjoy success again.

With Doncic out, the Mavericks were set to challenge for the NBA championship with Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson and one of the players they received in exchange for the Slovenian guard, Anthony Davis.

Now, Flagg enters the mix with high expectations. Talking with reporters during his introductory press conference (via the NBA's official X account), the Maine native was asked about the exciting part of sharing touches with these three future Hall of Famers.

"I think, like I said earlier, just being able to be a sponge," Flagg said. "Those guys have so much knowledge, they've been through so much, and they have so much experience. It's just gonna be an incredible opportunity for me to learn and grow under them."

The Mavericks have a solid core that showed huge potential last season. Irving's season-ending injury ruined their plans for last season and part of the 2025-26 campaign. That said, when the 2016 NBA champion returns to the court, and if Davis and Thompson stay healthy, the Mavs could make some noise in the West.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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