Flagg spoke about his ability as a two-way standout, a skill the Mavericks have coveted in recent months.
Duke's Kon Knueppel, left, and Cooper Flagg, right, smile at the NBA basketball draft lottery in Chicago, Monday, May 12, 2025.After entering with just a 1.8% chance to win the NBA draft lottery, Dallas made history and secured the No.
1 overall pick. The favorite to be taken with the top selection?“It’s just an incredible experience to be here, to have this opportunity,” Flagg said. “I mean, it’s what I dreamed of since I was a little kid. Just to be here is an incredible experience and a great opportunity.”Flagg spent one season at Duke, solidifying his stance as the upcoming draft’s top prospect. He averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks in his lone collegiate season.When Flagg met with the ESPN crew, analyst Kendrick Perkins specifically brought up the Mavericks’ interest in building around two-way players. Flagg’s statistics emphasize his willingness to stand out on both offense and defense. “I think like I said, this entire experience for me has been amazing,” Flagg said. “So going forward, I’m just going to look forward to, like you said, being a two-way player. That’s something that I’ve done since I was a little kid, so I’m just going to try and keep doing that to the best of my ability.”He said he didn’t think too much about which team would win the top selection and just focused on enjoying the draft process.The first round of the NBA draft is scheduled for 7 p.m. June 25, where Dallas will likely select Flagg with the first overall pick.Mavericks finally get lucky with No. 1 pick, as long as Nico Harrison doesn’t screw it upChris is a digital producer on The Dallas Morning News' sports desk. He joined the staff after working as a sports reporter at the Odessa American. Chris graduated from UT-Arlington in 2020 and was sports editor for the university's student newspaper, The Shorthorn.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
2025 NBA draft lottery: Dallas Mavericks win first pick, chance to take Cooper FlaggRohan Nadkarni is a sports reporter for NBC News.
Read more »
Mavericks Win NBA Draft Lottery, Expected to Select Cooper FlaggThe projected No. 1 pick likely has figured out his new home.
Read more »
Mavericks Overcame Microscopic Draft Lottery Odds for Chance to Take Cooper FlaggDallas won the lottery and a chance to draft Cooper Flagg despite only having a 1.8% chance to land the first pick.
Read more »
NBA draft lottery wins Dallas Mavericks a chance to pick Cooper FlaggDallas bucked huge odds to get it done, with only a 1.8% chance to win the lottery coming into Monday. The Sixers will pick third.
Read more »
‘Rigged': NBA fans react to Mavericks winning draft lottery, Cooper FlaggThe Dallas Mavericks stunningly won the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery Monday, earning first dibs to Duke star Cooper Flagg in June's draft.
Read more »
Mavericks win NBA Draft Lottery and Cooper Flagg sweepstakes with 1.8% oddsThe Dallas Mavericks won the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery to earn the right to select Duke prospect Cooper Flagg.
Read more »