Mavericks Win Draft Lottery, Cooper Flagg Will Become Seamless Fit

After the Dallas Mavericks Traded Luka Doncic at midnight on a Saturday at the beginning of February, fans and media were stunned. Nico Harrison had just sent off his franchise centerpiece, and sent him not just to any team but to the glitz and glamor Los Angeles Lakers. LeBron. Luka. Show business. Showtime. 

The Lakers of course did not get out of the first round. The Mavericks lost to the Memphis Grizzlies in the Play-In. Dallas won 39 games in the regular season and ended its 2025 campaign without the services of Kyrie Irving, who was out with a knee injury. 

Entering Monday’s draft lottery, the Mavericks had a 1.8% chance at the No. 1 pick and presumably Duke star Cooper Flagg. The Mavericks finished the season with the 12th-worst record in the NBA. Assumptions would believe that the No. 1 would have gone to the likes of New Orleans (21 wins), Charlotte (19 wins), Washington (18 wins) or Utah (17 wins). 

But in shocking fashion, the Mavericks were awarded the top pick. And all of a sudden, Nico Harrison appears vindicated. The Mavericks traded away a 10-year cornerstone. They just may have landed a 15-year one. 

Cooper Flagg is not a dynamic offensive talent with supreme scoring ability. He is not a stealth defender. But what he is is a player who does everything well. He can score, can defend, can block shots, and makes winning plays. He will not take over the Mavericks. He will not be their go-to player. But he can be and likely will be a Swiss army chess piece, part of a board with versatile pieces. A knight can go sideways. A bishop isn’t restricted to diagonal movement. A pawn can leapfrog two spaces. 

On a team with Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively, Flagg gives them a longer front line. On a team with Kyrie Irving, he can help the ball move and get in position for open looks (it is still to be determined how much of next season Irving plays, and he is a free agent after next season, but he does suit up, Flagg will benefit from the opportunities). On a team with Klay Thompson and PJ Washington, he does not have to be a knock-down shooter. 

Flagg can fit in. 6 foot 9, 225 points. Turns 19 in December. A chess piece that Jason Kidd can use how he wishes. A top pick with athleticism that adds to an already athletic front line. 

Harrison vindicated. Flagg properly situated. 

An ideal situation out of a nightmare.