According to NBA insider Shams Charania, the Utah Jazz are seriously eyeing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and could make a play to acquire it from the Dallas Mavericks by leveraging their massive stockpile of draft capital. Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, Shams dropped a bombshell about Utah’s potential aggressive push for Cooper Flagg, widely projected as the top pick in this year’s draft.
“They’ve got like 13 or 14 first-round picks they can trade. I’m not saying they’ll use all of them to go get number one in Cooper Flagg, but… even if they didn’t get the top pick, they’re trying to go for it.”
The Jazz finished with the third-worst record in the league at 19–63, giving them a share of the best lottery odds. Still, they fell to the fifth overall pick, while the Mavericks, who had just a 1.8% chance of winning the lottery, leaped to No. 1 and now hold the rights to Cooper Flagg.
Utah’s front office, led by GM Justin Zanik and team governor Ryan Smith, reportedly remains determined to land Flagg, viewing him as the franchise cornerstone they’ve been chasing since trading away Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.
The Jazz’s war chest is real. Here’s a breakdown of the 11 first-round picks they can offer:
2025 NBA Draft
– Own First-Round Pick (No.5)
– First-Round Pick From Minnesota Timberwolves (No.21)
2026 NBA Draft
– Own First-Round Pick
– First-Round Pick From Minnesota Timberwolves Or Cleveland Cavaliers
2027 NBA Draft
– Own First-Round Pick
– First-Round Pick From Minnesota Timberwolves Or Cleveland Cavaliers
– First-Round Pick From Los Angeles Lakers (Top 4 Protected)
2028 NBA Draft
– Own First-Round Pick
2029 NBA Draft
– Own First-Round Pick
– First-Round Pick From Minnesota Timberwolves Or Cleveland Cavaliers
2030 NBA Draft
– Own First-Round Pick
2031 NBA Draft
– Own First-Round Pick
– First-Round Pick From Phoenix Suns
This gives Utah rare flexibility. They can offer both immediate picks (like No. 5 and No. 21) and future firsts, including potentially high-value unprotected ones. If Dallas decides Flagg doesn’t fit their timeline, and that’s a real possibility, a trade could materialize.
Why would Dallas even consider this? Because the Mavericks are in win-now mode. They’re built around 31-year-old Anthony Davis and 33-year-old Kyrie Irving.
While Flagg has superstar potential, he’s still a teenager and may take years to reach his ceiling. For a team hoping to compete for a title in the next two to three seasons, flipping the pick for multiple assets or win-now contributors could be a smarter move.
Recent No. 1 picks highlight the risk. While Victor Wembanyama, Cade Cunningham, Paolo Banchero, Anthony Edwards, and Karl-Anthony Towns have blossomed, others like Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz, and DeAndre Ayton have either struggled or failed to meet expectations.
There are still questions about Zaccharie Risacher, the 2024 No. 1 pick, and he will have to prove himself in the coming years.
Even Zion Williamson, once seen as a generational talent, has been plagued by injuries. The Mavs, still scarred from Luka’s departure, may not want to gamble.
For Utah, however, this is about vision. Flagg is exactly the kind of two-way forward who can anchor a rebuild for the next decade. The Jazz are reportedly ready to package a significant combination of picks, perhaps including the No. 5, 21, and future unprotected firsts, to make their boldest trade swing since the Mitchell era.
Whether Dallas is ready to part with Flagg remains uncertain. But make no mistake, the Jazz want him, and they’re armed to make it happen.
