Mar 21, 2025; Raleigh, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) dribbles the ball against the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers during the first half in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

NBA Legend weighs in on what could be a 'terrible idea' for Mavericks' first pick

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated May 15, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The Dallas Mavericks hold the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft after winning the Lottery for the first time in franchise history. This is the second time they'll hold the first pick, as they took Mark Aguirre with the top pick in the 1981 Draft, but that was before the Lottery was established.

Dallas has a few options with the pick, but everything that has come out since they won the Lottery is that they will keep the pick and take Duke star Cooper Flagg, which is the easy decision. But everyone is nervous that Nico Harrison will commit another inexcusable basketball act and trade the pick for a win-now star, which would be a colossal mistake.

Among those who think it would be a mistake is former NBA star Blake Griffin, who will be joining Mavericks icon Dirk Nowitzki on the in-studio show on Amazon next season. He was on a podcast with Vince Goodwill, where he talked about how insane it would be for the Mavs to trade the pick.

"I saw somebody talking about 'Should the Mavs move the pick?' I think that's a terrible idea. But, to be fair, I also thought moving Luka [Doncic] for that was also a bad idea. I don't think you trade that pick at all. I think Cooper Flagg to Anthony Davis to Klay [Thompson] to Kyrie [Irving], when he's healthy, that team is good. I think Cooper is going to be impactful right away, that's a very, very good team. I know Nico was watching that Draft Lottery like, 'Come on, please, I need this.'"

Blake Griffin, who will be teaming up with Dirk on Amazon this fall, gives his thoughts on the Mavs landing the 1st pick on the Good Word show with @VinceGoodwill

“I saw someone saying they should trade the pick. I think that’s a terrible idea. But to be fair, I thought trading… pic.twitter.com/ciua2yuegd
— Mavs Film Room (@MavsFilmRoom) May 14, 2025

As long as the Mavericks find some playmaking help while Kyrie Irving heals from his ACL injury and the rest of the team stays healthy, they should be a contender in the West. Cooper Flagg can be that impactful as a rookie, and Dallas has a deep team with some tradeable contracts if they want to improve the bench.

Griffin and Nowitzki should be a comedic tandem on Amazon next season while also knowing basketball, something the current TNT and ESPN crews are catching a lot of heat for.

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

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