Former Duke phenom Cooper Flagg made his NBA debut for the Dallas Mavericks on July 10th in the 2025 NBA Summer League against Bronny James and the Los Angeles Lakers, and his first bucket as a pro is exactly what you would expect. The No. 1 overall 2025 NBA Draft selection threw down a vicious slam dunk in transition to kick off his professional career in Dallas.
COOPER FLAGG'S FIRST BUCKET IN A MAVS UNIFORM IS A BIG-TIME SLAM ‼️#NBA2KSummerLeague on ESPN pic.twitter.com/h7Ta564bS8
— NBA (@NBA) July 11, 2025
If this isn't the perfect way for the generational prospect to begin his career, that scenario doesn't exist.
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said in a recent interview that he plans to play the former Duke freshman superstar at the point guard position often throughout his rookie year in Dallas, and Flagg showed his prowess as a ring leader in his debut against Los Angeles. The Mavericks would end up earning a comeback victory over the Lakers 87-85, and Flagg played well in his first NBA action.
The 6'9 forward finished the contest with 10 points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a block. Although the efficiency wasn't there, as Flagg shot just 5-of-21 (23.8%) from the field and 0-of-5 from three, the aggressiveness offensively was a great sign to see early on from the top pick.
Flagg was seen bringing the ball up regularly and initiating the action for the Mavericks on several occasions. Despite his scoring expertise not quite being on show tonight, he created open looks for his teammates and disrupted things for Los Angeles on the defensive side of the ball all night long.
The rookie also played 32 minutes in his first game, which is a high amount for a top pick in his first game in the Summer League.
It's unclear how heavily Kidd will elect to play Flagg as the rest of the Las Vegas Summer League rolls along, but given how the head coach is looking to get Flagg comfortable at the point guard spot, his minutes could continue to be fairly high.
Flagg's transition slam was the perfect way for the generational talent to begin his NBA career with the Mavericks, and it was exactly the start fans and those around the league would expect.