It is almost a certainty at this point that the Dallas Mavericks are going to draft Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick of the 2025 NBA Draft. They landed the pick in a miracle draft lottery after having only a 1.8% chance of getting it. And now they seem to have found the future face of their franchise in Cooper Flagg.
According to Noah Weber of the Smoking Cuban, the Mavericks conducted the customary pre-draft workout with Flagg. His report reveals the initial impression that Flagg’s workout left on the franchise.
“Flagg’s visit included dinner with team officials on Tuesday and an assortment of players on Wednesday, and he thoroughly enjoyed both evenings, according to league sources. But his time on the court on Wednesday is what has Mavericks circles buzzing. Ahead of the draft, one of the biggest knocks against Flagg has been his jumper and being able to space the floor in a frontcourt that includes Anthony Davis and two rim-rolling centers in Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, but he put that concern to rest in his first-ever Mavericks workout.”
“According to a league source, Flagg shot the ball ‘insanely well,’ burying jumper after jumper, during his hour-long workout at the Mavericks’ practice facility, and he dazzled throughout. This source was blown away by what they witnessed from Flagg, stating that he was ‘even better’ than they initially expected him to be.’Cooper was unreal in his workout,’ a league source told The Smoking Cuban. ‘He’s a complete beast,’[said their source].“
Cooper Flagg’s athleticism, jump shooting, and versatility on both ends of the floor have made him a standout candidate for the No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA Draft. The Duke star averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game in his NCAA career. He also averaged 1.4 blocks and steals per game in this period.
What’s Happening With Other Top Candidates In The NBA Draft
Before the beginning of his only NCAA season, Flagg was not the only top candidate in this draft class, stacked with talent. Among other names that were brought up in the discussion, the two prominent names that were common across all platforms were the Rutgers duo, Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey.
The San Antonio Spurs seem to be locked in on drafting Harper and recently even rejected the 76ers’ attempt to trade up for their No. 2 pick in the draft. Ace Bailey, however, does not seem to be a locked-in candidate for the No. 3 pick in the draft as he cancelled his workout with the 76ers, who have that pick.
While the 76ers may still end up drafting Bailey, his refusal of the workout may not be received well in the franchise. He has reportedly cancelled multiple workouts due to believing that his NCAA season has already shown the teams what he is capable of, and he is confident that teams will miss out on a star if they don’t draft him. It will be interesting to see where Bailey will end up in this draft as a result of his actions.
