Feb 15, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) celebrating after scoring against the Stanford Cardinal during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Mavericks' projected first pick Cooper Flagg seen wearing Luka Doncic shirt

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated May 16, 2025 4:33 PM ET

The Dallas Mavericks landed the first pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and all indications point to them sticking and picking Duke star Cooper Flagg, the clear top talent on the board. He'll become a savior to a fanbase that had lost hope in the direction of the organization after the already infamous Luka Doncic trade.

That Doncic trade put the fanbase up in arms, as trading a 25-year-old megastar who wanted to be in Dallas felt like a betrayal. Flagg is one of the most highly touted college prospects in recent memory, up there with Anthony Davis and Zion Williamson. If he can live up to his high billing, he can help the franchise heal.

A photo recently popped up of a 13-year-old Cooper Flagg working out in a Dallas Mavericks t-shirt. But the full video was found, and it's actually a Luka Doncic Mavericks t-shirt, a cool way of connecting the past and the future.

You may have seen that picture of Flagg wearing that Mavs shirt as a kid by now

It’s actually a Mavs Luka Dončić shirt more specifically pic.twitter.com/TXO00IQedZ
— Mavs Film Room (@MavsFilmRoom) May 14, 2025

Flagg has been in the spotlight as a potential star-in-the-making for the last few years, reclassifying as a 17-year-old to get to Duke a year early. He won the Wooden Award for the National Player of the Year as a freshman, joining an exclusive list of Kevin Durant (2007), Anthony Davis (2012), and Zion Williamson (2019) of freshmen to achieve that honor. He'll be on the same team as Davis, slotting in as the small forward alongside Davis next season.

It'll be nearly impossible for Flagg to live up to the standard that Doncic set in his six-and-a-half seasons in Dallas, but he'll have a great opportunity to learn from some champions like Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson, while also growing and developing alongside another Duke Blue Devil in Dereck Lively II.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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