The Dallas Mavericks were the winners of the NBA lottery, and their claim of the No. 1 pick likely means the arrival of Cooper Flagg on draft night in June. While some around the league have doubts about the fit, Rich Paul says it’s an ideal situation for the young swingman from Duke.
“I think there will be no trade, I think the Mavs take him. I think it’s the right thing for the kid,” said Paul on the Pat McAfee Show. “Obviously, there have been some teams that there that love to have him, but I think when you look at Cooper Flagg, look where he’s at today with his ability to develop next to guys like AD, Lively, and Kyrie once he’s back, I think it helps him.”
Flagg is the consensus No. 1 pick this summer, and many believe that where he ends up could determine the success of his NBA career. Coming in after Luka Doncic, expectations will be high for the young star, but Paul says that the Mavericks are a place where he can develop his game at his own pace.
“Oftentimes, guys go number one, and we put so many expectations on these young players, and that’s not really realistic. This allows him to develop a real timeline; he gets to play through mistakes without all the pressure being on him to get 20-30 points a game. That’s not realistic, especially equating it to wins. So I think this will be a great environment for him. Not saying that if he went to Utah, if he went to San Antonio, it wouldn’t. It’s okay to develop into the guy, there’s nothing wrong with developing into the guy.”
As the agent to LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and many other prominent NBA stars, Rich Paul was on the frontlines during the blockbuster trade that saw Luka Doncic become a Laker. Nobody saw it coming, and the Mavericks are still dealing with the backlash and outrage of their bold decision.
Still, the chance to draft Cooper Flagg is a nice consolation prize for Dallas that gives them a chance to reset with a new star at the helm. While there have been calls for the Mavericks to trade Anthony Davis, the Mavericks could use him and his co-star Kyrie Irving, to help train, mentor, and guide Flagg in his rookie season.
In 37 games for the Blue Devils, Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.4 blocks on 48.1% shooting. He led Duke to the Elite Eight this year before losing to Houston in the Final Four.
With comparisons to Jayson Tatum and Kawhi Leonard, Flagg has the potential to change the NBA hierarchy for years to come, and the Mavericks are in a position to have him pick up where Luka Doncic left off as the face of the franchise.
Until then, Dallas GM Nico Harrison will consider every option in pursuit of a title. With two aging stars on his team, he could decide to trade the pick to the highest bidder and make his veteran duo a big three. If not, he’ll be betting that Flagg can make an impact from day one, and it might not be far off from what we’ve seen so far.
