During the prime of his career, Mavericks great Dirk Nowitzki often was unfairly compared to Larry Bird. Potentially, eventually, Flagg might be the much better Bird comp because of his two-way abilities; he’s more athletic than Bird and Nowitzki.

During this Wednesday's episode of "First Take," ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith offered his thoughts on the Dallas Mavericks potentially drafting Cooper Flagg. The Mavericks only had a 1.8 percent chance at landing the No.

The future of the Dallas Mavericks franchise was altered on Monday night. Despite entering the 2025 NBA draft lottery with a 1.8% chance of winning the No. 1 overall pick, the team defied the odds and landed the top selection in the upcoming draft.

Cooper Flagg wouldn’t be the first Jon Scheyer-coached Duke player to suit up for the Dallas Mavericks. If Flagg is drafted by the Mavs in June ( as is widely expected ), he would get a chance to team up with Dereck Lively II. Like Flagg, Lively spent just one season at Duke before entering the professional ranks.

ESPN college basketball analyst Seth Greenberg joined RJ and Bobby to discuss the Dallas Mavericks landing the No. 1 overall pick and the right to draft Duke star forward Cooper Flagg.

NBA fans on X chimed in with their reactions to the Flagg-Pippen comparison as it grabbed attention on social media. One user commented that Flagg's ability to take over a game is more reminiscent of LeBron James than Scottie Pippen, while another questioned whether Flagg is the same type of "quick-twitch" athlete Pippen was in his prime.

The talent speaks for itself,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “But I love coaching the person. He’s all about the right stuff.”

Dallas Mavericks fans have spent the last few months in something akin to open rebellion against the team’s front office after franchise icon Luka Dončić was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.