Cooper Flagg Headlines a Scary New Big Three in Dallas

The Cooper Flagg era has officially begun in Dallas as the Mavericks drafted him with the No. 1 overall pick in Wednesday night’s NBA draft at the Barclays Center.

The 18-year-old phenom is the second-youngest player to be drafted at No.1, behind Lebron James.

“I’m so excited and ready to get down to Dallas and get to work. I think I’m just gonna try to be an impact player, do anything I can to try and fit in and just help the team win,” Flagg said.

The Mavericks will now have three No. 1 overall picks on the roster in Flagg (2025), Anthony Davis (2012), and Kyrie Irving (2011).

“Everybody wants to be number one—until the pressure sets in, I’ve been there,” Irving said in a message to Flagg. “You talk about being able to handle the pressure, the expectations, the rise, the fall, the climb back to the top.

“To be number one, to live in the pressure, to become the pressure. The moment, the poise, the accolades, the unseen work—from Gatorade, Naismith, AP, Erving, Wooden, ACC Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, but they’ll never be satisfied. Until you do it again, and again, and again.”

Flagg enters the league with high expectations, widely regarded as the NBA’s next generational talent. He’s a high-impact player on both ends of the floor, capable of creating his own shot and defending positions one through four.

There’s optimism in Dallas that Irving will return from injury in January—and once the Mavericks’ trio of No. 1 overall picks finally share the court, it could be scary hours for the rest of the league.