Duke basketball freshman phenom Cooper Flagg is just one day away from officially being selected as the No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. Most expected Flagg to end up on a rebuilding team where he would be the star right away, given how the NBA Draft Lottery works. But, Dallas ended up making the biggest jump in the history of the lottery, and now Flagg will be in a very interesting situation where he won't have as big of a green light as he would on a young, bad team. Could this hinder his ability to take home Rookie of the Year honors?
With the way the Mavericks' roster is currently constructed, they are built to win now. The franchise recently inked center Daniel Gafford to a three-year, $54 million extension, and has a young, promising four in Dereck Lively II. Along with star Anthony Davis, Dallas' frontcourt is pretty crowded.
Now, Flagg can play the one through four at any moment, but even if he sees lots of time at the one or the two, he won't have the freedom to take as many shots as he wants and go through growing pains, given the Mavericks' playoff hopes for next season.
Odds are, Flagg will see the majority of his time at the three alongside PJ Washington. If Flagg is a day one starter, the potential starting five for Dallas could be Max Christie, Klay Thompson, Flagg, Davis, and Lively II. There's also potential that Flagg sees time at the point guard spot with Kyrie Irving out for a good chunk of next season after suffering a torn ACL, given Flagg's ball handling ability, perimeter defensive skills and length, and passing prowess.
What could end up hurting Flagg is how good the Mavericks can be with that lineup.
Granted, Flagg isn't a developmental prospect and is as pro-ready as any player in this draft. What could hinder him from taking home the Rookie of the Year award is the sheer talent around him and the proven lineup that Dallas already possesses.
The Mavericks weren't supposed to be in this position, where they were able to take a generational prospect with the first pick in this draft. Now, given the spot Dallas is in, Flagg's volume and scoring opportunity won't be as high as if he were drafted to a Utah or Charlotte.
However, that's not to say Flagg can't succeed right away in this situation. He's as complete a prospect as we've seen in a decade, with really no flaws to his game at all. He'll contribute to winning in every way possible, but the lack of volume he may receive on the Mavericks as opposed to being on another team could prove costly down the line in terms of his ROTY hopes.