Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg looks on against the San Antonio Spurs. Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Cooper Flagg's unique path to start NBA career with Dallas Mavericks

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Aug 20, 2025 1:18 PM ET

The Dallas Mavericks are expecting No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg to become a contributor for a winning team right away.

ESPN insider Zach Kram explains how tall a task it is for Flagg to be thrown into the fire immediately.

"For the Mavericks to seize on their competitive window before 33-year-old Kyrie Irving and 32-year-old Anthony Davis reach their mid-30s, they'll primarily need Irving to recover from left ACL surgery this season. Only slightly secondary, though, is a need for No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, at 18 years old on opening night, to be an immediate high-impact contributor," Kram wrote.

"Flagg is one of the best NBA prospects in decades, so he certainly has that potential. But it's a tall order for any player with his age and experience to contribute to winning basketball, no matter his talent. Only five teenagers have ever been regular starters on the perimeter for a team that made the playoffs according to Stathead: Jayson Tatum, Luol Deng, Carmelo Anthony, Tony Parker and Stephon Marbury. Only Tatum has done so in the past two decades."

Flagg under fire for Mavericks

The Mavs aren't a typical team picking No. 1 overall in the draft. They finished one win away from the playoffs after losing to the Memphis Grizzlies in the final game of the Play-In Tournament for the No. 8 seed.

Flagg joins a team with Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson, three future Hall-of-Famers who are expected to play alongside him and Dereck Lively II in the starting lineup come playoff time.

The Mavs could choose to completely build around Flagg, but considering they were in the NBA Finals last year and have so many veterans to compete with, it's hard not to imagine Dallas trying to get back to playoff glory.

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

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