The 2025 NBA Draft is right around the corner, and Cooper Flagg may be the only prospect whose future is already set in stone. As the de facto No. 1 pick this summer, he’s guaranteed to go to the Mavericks, and LeBron James says it will be a major advantage in his early career.
“I personally think he wants to be great,” said James on the ‘Mind the Game’ podcast. “He had a hell of a year at Duke. A guy that can do so many different things on the floor — can play with the ball, without the ball. His jump shot is going to continue to get better. Superathletic, quick second jump. And, also, he [Flagg] has the benefit — unlike myself — he gets to join a team that is established with Hall of Fame guys: Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Hall of Fame coach Jason Kidd. These guys are gonna give him the whole blueprint while he continues to learn what his blueprint will be. And I think that’s gonna be an incredible thing to have, that presence, that leadership, that basketball IQ and knowledge around him every single day. I think he’s going to be amazing.”
Flagg is next up to be drafted this summer after a standout season at Duke. In 37 games for the Blue Devils, Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game on 48.1% shooting. He led Duke to the Final Four before declaring for the draft in April.
Flagg has been projected to go to the Mavericks ever since, and the partnership would be vastly different than what LeBron experienced coming into the league. As the No. 1 pick in 2003, James was happy to be drafted close to his childhood home, but the Cavaliers were not in a prestigious state when he arrived. As one of the lowest market, poorly accomplished organizations in basketball, the Cavs were a mess when LeBron arrived, and they had a very limited history of success.
It was James’ arrival and subsequent rise to stardom that put the Cavaliers on the map and eventually won them their first championship in 2016. LeBron struggled to make it work on a team that had no clue how to win, and it wasn’t until he left and came back again that he finally made good on his promise.
For Flagg, life is going to be much easier in his first few years on the Mavericks. The team already has an established culture with Jason Kidd in the locker room, and they’ll have veteran stars like Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and Klay Thompson ready to set the example for their younger teammates.
Right out of the gate, Flagg is going to have everything he needs to succeed at the highest level and raise his game to new heights. The hope is that with enough patience, practice, and teaching, Flagg can reach the peak of his potential and start the Mavericks on a path that will return them to contention in the West.
As one of the NBA’s greatest players ever, LeBron knows more than most about what it takes to succeed, and he sees big things for Cooper Flagg with the resources he can use to help expedite his development.
