Jul 12, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) defends against San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) in the second quarter of their game at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Mavericks' Cooper Flagg anticipating matchups against top rookies

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Jul 18, 2025 5:00 PM ET

The Dallas Mavericks think they have a future star after they were able to win the NBA Draft Lottery and select Cooper Flagg first overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. He had a great performance in his second Summer League game against Dylan Harper and the San Antonio Spurs, scoring 31 points on 10/20 shooting.

That performance was good enough for the Mavericks to shut down Flagg for the rest of the summer, believing he's ready for the next step.

On Wednesday, Flagg participated in an "Ask Me Anything," along with VJ Edgecombe of the Philadelphia 76ers and Harper. He was asked which matchups he's looking forward to the most.

"I think the [Charlotte] Hornets will be a big game," Flagg wrote. "Obviously, with them having three of my former teammates, that will be really fun to play against them. The [Phoenix] Suns with Khaman [Maluach], the Cavs with Tyrese [Proctor], the Pelicans with DQ [Derik Queen] and the Hawks with Asa [Newell]. I think any game where I get to face off against one of my teammates would be pretty cool."

The Hornets drafted two of Flagg's Duke teammates, Kon Knueppel and Sion James, which is why he's looking forward to that matchup. It's also only about two hours away from where he went to college.

Charlotte also drafted Liam McNeely, who Flagg played with at Montverde Academy in high school, as well as Deriq Queen and Asa Newell. He's been on some talented teams in his career, and yet he's always stood out as the top player. That will be a tougher challenge in the NBA on a team with Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, and more.

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

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