Image credit: ClutchPoints

DeMarcus Cousins says Ace Bailey should be Mavericks’ No. 1 pick over Cooper Flagg

Originally posted on NBA on ClutchPoints
By Jaren Kawada | Last updated May 20, 2025 12:39 PM ET

If DeMarcus Cousins were in Nico Harrison’s shoes, he would not take Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft. Instead, the former four-time All-Star believes Ace Bailey should be the first overall selection to the Dallas Mavericks.

While Cousins sees the talent in Flagg, he thinks Bailey is the best player of the class. Cousins compared the former Rutgers star’s scoring ability to Tracy McGrady’s on the Fanduel TV ‘Run it Back’ show.

“I like Ace Bailey,” Cousins said. “To me, Ace Bailey is the No. 1 pick. I think he’s the closest thing we’ve seen to a Tracy McGrady. But I don’t think Nico keeps that pick. With everything he’s already said on record, as far as his window of winning a championship, it just doesn’t logically make sense.”

Boogie Cousins would pick Ace Bailey over Cooper Flagg with the #1 pick in the NBA Draft

"He's the closest thing we've seen to Tracy McGrady."@boogiecousins | @GeorgesNiang20 | @MichelleDBeadle | @TeamLou23 | @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/G9yEyrDxpY

— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) May 20, 2025

Unlike Cousins, the rest of the ‘Run it Back’ crew — Michelle Beadle, Chandler Parsons, Lou Williams and Georges Niang — believe Harrison should make the safe pick and take Flagg. With the criticism he is already under following the Luka Doncic trade, Harrison is in no position to make another unpopular decision.

Cousins, who was once in the No. 1 pick discussion in the 2010 NBA Draft class, is no longer pursuing a return to the league but is still kicking internationally. Five years after suffering a brutal Achilles injury that derailed his potentially historic career, Cousins has not been in the NBA since the 2021-2022 season. He has spent the last three years playing overseas and recently finished the 2024-2025 season with the Selenge Bodons in Mongolia.

Mavericks still expected to take Cooper Flagg in 2025 NBA Draft

Mavericks prospect Cooper Flagg talks to the media during the 2025 NBA Draft Combine at Marriott Marquis Chicago. David Banks-Imagn Images

Unless Dallas brings Cousins on board as a consultant, they appear ready to take Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick. Flagg, one of the most-hyped prospects in recent history, has been the class’ consensus top selection for well over a year.

Months after losing Doncic in a head-scratching move, the Mavericks are in an unfavorable position. They lost Kyrie Irving to a torn ACL shortly after trading Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, sidelining him for most of the 2025-2026 season. Assuming they take Flagg in June, he will immediately be a focal point of the offense.

Despite being the locked-in No. 1 pick, Flagg flew out to Chicago for the NBA Draft Combine. He met with several other teams, but Dallas has shown no interest in trading the pick or passing on him as the team’s future.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: