Mavericks among brightest futures after winning Cooper Flagg lottery

Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg reacts in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Mavericks among brightest futures after winning Cooper Flagg lottery

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated May 19, 2025 2:27 PM ET

The Dallas Mavericks are thanking their lucky stars after landing the No. 1 overall pick in this year's NBA Draft, a move that likely wouldn't have happened if they didn't trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Acquiring the top selection to likely take Cooper Flagg doesn't make the trade a good or bad move, but it gives the Mavs a direction going into the future.

Bleacher Report writer Grant Hughes thinks the Mavs have one of the three best futures of any lottery team this season.

Mavs have bright future with Flagg

"If Cooper Flagg is as good as advertised (a legitimate franchise-altering top prospect), and if the Dallas Mavericks don't trade the No. 1 overall pick that they were wildly lucky to acquire, there's a chance that their future will be brighter without Luka Dončić than it would have been with him," Hughes wrote.

"That presupposes the Mavs' concerns about Luka's health and conditioning prove to be correct, and that imminent roster-balancing moves (way too many bigs at the moment) work out.

"Very little is guaranteed in Dallas, other than the fact that the Mavs' prospects are immeasurably better after they jumped up 10 spots in the lottery. That good fortune was a lifeline, perhaps one that'll bring livid and alienated fans back into the fold.

"The Mavericks infamously defended the Dončić deal by claiming it gave them a better chance at near-term success. Instead, lottery luck intervened to give them a much rosier long-term outlook."

The NBA Draft is set for June 25-26.

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

More must-reads: