Cooper Flagg has made a strong early impression with Mavericks: ‘He’s a hell of a talent’

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DALLAS — Anthony Davis admitted he wasn’t watching the NBA Draft Lottery in May. He only learned the results when a stream of text messages began pouring in.

“They were like, ‘Cooper Flagg. Cooper Flagg,’” Davis said Monday. “I was like, ‘What about Cooper Flagg?’”

The Mavericks had a 1.8 percent chance of leaping up to the No. 1 pick. They, of course, used the selection on Cooper Flagg, an 18-year-old from Newport, Maine, who in April became the fourth men’s college basketball player to win the Naismith Award as a freshman.

“He’s a hell of a talent,” said Davis, who was also a Naismith Award winner in 2012 after a standout season at Kentucky. “He can do everything on the floor. It was a great moment for us.”

Flagg is one of three No. 1 picks on the Mavericks’ roster. The Cleveland Cavaliers chose Kyrie Irving first in 2011. In 2012, the then-New Orleans Hornets picked Davis first.

THREE #1 PICKS ARE JOINING FORCES 🤠@AntDavis23 x @KyrieIrving x @Cooper_Flagg pic.twitter.com/kMn8uzCogB

— NBA (@NBA) September 29, 2025

“For him, he’s coming to a team that’s established,” Davis said. “We have veteran talent. He doesn’t have to do as much as a normal No. 1 pick has to do. We are still going to ask him to be Cooper Flagg for sure. But the pressure is not going to be on him as much as a usual No. 1 pick who is going to one of the worst teams in the league.”

The Mavericks are loaded with frontcourt talent. Flagg and P.J. Washington can play either forward spot. Davis has spent time at power forward and center throughout his career. Dereck Lively II, who said Monday he grew an inch or two over the offseason, and Daniel Gafford are pure centers who were part of the Mavericks team that reached the NBA Finals in 2024.

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said he hasn’t decided on a starting lineup yet.

“There is not a (set) starting lineup,” Kidd said. “This is going to be competition. We are going to embrace the competition. That will figure itself out come Oct. 22 (on opening night).”

In June, Kidd said that Flagg will handle the ball a lot for the Mavericks. It’s clear Kidd envisions using Flagg in a variety of roles on the court.

“He has a talent about winning,” Kidd said. “It’s in his DNA. It would be unfair not to make him uncomfortable.”

Kidd added, “Point guard, you can call it that. But when you look at it (in) today’s game, how many positions are there? He can play every position.”

Flagg’s focus is shifting toward training camp, but last weekend, he attended the Ryder Cup. While he was there, he got to meet one of his idols, six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan.

“That’s someone who’s seen as the GOAT in my household,” Flagg said. “I think it was a dream come true.”

Irving: ‘I’m right on schedule’

It’s been a little more than six months since Irving had surgery to repair the torn ACL in his left knee. While he has resumed light on-court activities, it’s still too early to tell when he might resume playing for the Mavericks.

“When we do see Kyrie shooting, can we refrain from saying, ‘ahead of schedule,’” Kidd said. “That’s bad reporting. … He’s doing quite well as we can see. But he’s not ahead of schedule. Let’s not say that. It’s unfair to him and the Mavs.”

Minutes later, Irving addressed his status.

“I’m right on schedule, guys,” he said.

Irving was in the midst of one of the best seasons of his career before the torn ACL sidelined him in March. He averaged 24.7 points on 47.3 percent shooting from the field and 40.1 percent shooting from 3 in 50 games.

In July, Irving declined a $43 million player option for 2025-26 and signed a three-year deal with the Mavericks worth nearly $119 million. Irving’s choice to opt out and sign a new deal as opposed to opting in allowed Dallas to sign D’Angelo Russell to the $5.9 million taxpayer midlevel exception.

“If you sacrifice a little money, you can have the best team in the league,” Irving said. “You can be up there competing as a contender. I’d rather that than everything being on my shoulders or AD’s shoulders or Cooper’s shoulders. I’m grateful we put this team together.”

The Mavericks believe they can be contenders so long as they can stay healthy.

“Once we get Kyrie back, I don’t see why we can’t win the whole thing,” said veteran shooting guard Klay Thompson, who won four championships as a member of the Golden State Warriors.

Washington wants to finish career in Dallas

Washington turned 27 years old in August. He’s just entering his prime years.

That hasn’t stopped Flagg from giving him a nickname.

“I think he called me ‘Unc’ a couple times,” Washington said.

“Unc,” of course, is short for uncle and generally reserved for someone older.

“I feel like I can be a mentor to Cooper,” Washington said. “Help him as much as I can. Obviously, he’s 18. So just try to be a bigger brother. He makes me feel old all the time.”

In September, Washington, who spent much of his childhood in Frisco, a Dallas suburb, signed a four-year, $89 million extension with the Mavericks. The versatile forward said Monday he is hopeful to spend the rest of his career with the team he grew up rooting for.

“It’s always been home for me,” Washington said. “I’m just blessed to be here. I’ve always wanted to be here. Hopefully, I end my career here.”

(Photo of Cooper Flagg: Ron Jenkins / Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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