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Cooper Flagg’s Dad Breaks Silence About Mavericks Before No. 1 Pick Announcement

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Cole Sullivan | Last updated Jun 24, 2025 12:52 PM ET

The first round of the 2025 NBA draft is set to unfold on Wednesday night, with all signs pointing to Duke Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg being selected No. 1 overall by the Dallas Mavericks—who had just a 1.8% chance of landing the top pick on lottery night.

Throughout most of Flagg’s freshman season, he, his family, and Duke head coach Jon Scheyer were preparing for the likelihood of him ending up with a team like the Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets, or Utah Jazz. According to ESPN’s Baxter Holmes, the Flagg family carefully considered the positives of each potential landing spot.

One team they didn’t expect to be in the running? The Mavericks.

Ahead of Wednesday night’s draft, Flagg’s father, Ralph, who is currently in New York with his son preparing for the big moment, broke his silence about the Mavericks and admitted, “Dallas wasn’t even on our bingo card.”

That said, the family appears pleased with how the Mavericks are built, with a core that includes Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, and former Duke standouts Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively.

“They are a very passionate fan base,” Ralph said. “And I think from what we understand and what we've seen on social media, they're ready to fully embrace Cooper.”

Flagg led the Blue Devils to 35 wins and a Final Four appearance during his freshman season. He topped the team in nearly every major statistical category, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game.

His dominance earned him numerous accolades, including the Wooden Award, Naismith College Player of the Year, and both ACC Player and Rookie of the Year honors.

DUKE FRESHMAN COOPER FLAGG IS YOUR 2025 WOODEN AWARD WINNER pic.twitter.com/yKG6evvlwK
— ESPN (@espn) April 5, 2025

Jon Scheyer, who played a key role in Flagg’s development at Duke, also shared his thoughts on his former star potentially landing in Dallas—and he's excited about the fit.

"He's not going to go into Dallas thinking he's got all the answers," Scheyer said. "He's going to learn from Kyrie, he's going to learn from [Davis]. He's going to learn from Derek Lively and Jason Kidd and his staff. He's coming in to learn, and I think that's a special part about him."

Scheyer continued, "Dallas has been lucky for many years. They've been able to watch Dirk, Luka—so many winning teams. Now, you’ve got a guy in Cooper, who I think will carry that tradition forward."

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

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