The city of Dallas is getting another superstar. As expected, the Dallas Mavericks are bringing in the Duke forward, Cooper Flagg, as their top selection at the 2025 NBA Draft.
Shortly after the pick was made, the Dallas Cowboys took to social media to welcome the young phenom.
“Welcome to Dallas, Cooper Flagg!” the team wrote.
The Mavericks were in an odd spot earlier this year. In a shocking move ahead of the NBA trade deadline, the Mavericks traded away their most prominent player of the decade in Luka Doncic. Despite Doncic being in his prime, putting up MVP-worthy numbers, the Mavericks’ front office made a shocking decision to move on.
Doncic was sent to the Los Angeles Lakers. To say that Dallas fans were displeased would be an understatement. While fans are still having a hard time getting over the departure of Luka, the Mavs were at least fortunate to win the NBA Draft Lottery back in May.
Despite having shockingly low odds, the Mavericks managed to land the top pick. Once it was clear they owned the pick, it was apparent that Flagg was headed to Dallas.
Photo by Lance King/Getty Images
Heading into Duke, Flagg was recognized as the No. 1 player in the nation for his high school class. It seemed it was only a matter of time before he would declare for the NBA Draft and take his talent to the pros. First, Flagg had to live up to the hype at Duke, which he certainly did.
In 37 games, Flagg made 48 percent of his shots from the field and knocked down 39 percent of his threes. The freshman forward posted averages of 19 points, eight rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block.
Flagg earned many accolades, including ACC Rookie of the Year, ACC Player of the Year, ACC All-Defensive, ACC All-Freshman, First-Team All-ACC, and more.
There’s a lot of excitement for Dallas sports this fall. Although the Cowboys are coming off of a tough season, where they finished 7-10, they expect to get their franchise quarterback in the mix, as Dak Prescott is healthy once again.
The Cowboys made some notable moves this offseason, adding another pass-catching weapon for Prescott to utilize in George Pickens. In a tough NFC East Division, which features the two NFC Championship competitors, the Cowboys hope to be right back in contention.
As for the Mavs, they still have a lot of work to do in terms of development and getting healthy again. After going 39-43, the Mavericks will look forward to seeing how far the rookie can go in 2024-2025.
For more Dallas Cowboys and NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.