Stephen A. Smith is no stranger to hot takes, and he had his holster loaded as he sat on stage as a part of ESPN and ABCs’ NBA Draft coverage on Wednesday night.
The host of ESPN’s First Take said that the Mavericks addition of Duke superstar Cooper Flagg could make Dallas the biggest threat in the Western Conference to the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, which won its first title this week in seven games over the Indiana Pacers.
"I think he potentially makes them the No. 1 threat to the Oklahoma City Thunder,” he stated.
Flagg has been considered as the No. 1 pick since he formally reclassified into the 2024 recruiting class and joined the Blue Devils a year early.
Still, it’s a bold to say that Flagg could make the Mavericks a championship contender when the organization has a head coach in flux with the New York Knicks reported pursuit of Jason Kidd for the same position as well as the injury histories of Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving.
“When you considered the way Dallas has fared against Oklahoma City in recent memory, with or without Luka Doncic,” Smith continued.
Stephen A. Smith: "I think [Cooper Flagg] potentially makes [the Dallas Mavericks] the No. 1 threat to the Oklahoma City Thunder." 🏀🎙️ #NBA #NBADraft pic.twitter.com/ynevXzg9y2
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 25, 2025
“This is a very formidable team if healthy, that’s the big question – health. There are no questions about Cooper Flagg. When you see this brother leading Duke in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocked shots – he’s all world.”
It won’t be long before Cooper Flagg gets on the court for the first time as a pro in the NBA Summer League in mid-July, but there is a question as to how long Dallas will allow him to be on the court this summer.
The Mavericks will have postseason expectations next season and Flagg will play a large role in determining if they are able to live up to those expectations.