New York, June 25, 2025 – The Dallas Mavericks officially announced the arrival of Cooper Flagg, the young prospect from Duke, as the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. This move could signify the beginning of a new era for the Texan franchise.
At just 18 years old, Flagg becomes the new hope for Dallas fans, who are still coming to terms with the shocking departure of Luka Doncic, who was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in February. The choice of Flagg is a direct bet on finding the team’s next superstar.
Originally from Maine, Flagg was recognized as the College Player of the Year after averaging 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds in his only season in college basketball, leading Duke to the Final Four. It was announced that he will wear the number 32 jersey in his new stage with the Mavericks.
The forward joins a select list of Duke players who have been chosen first overall in the draft since 1999, including Elton Brand, Kyrie Irving —who will be his new teammate—, Zion Williamson, and Paolo Banchero.
The choice of Flagg also represents a return to a traditional trend in the draft: selecting as number one a one-year American college player, after two consecutive selections of prospects born in France (Victor Wembanyama in 2023 and Zaccharie Risacher in 2024).
In the rest of the draft, the San Antonio Spurs selected guard Dylan Harper (Rutgers) with the second pick, while the Philadelphia 76ers chose Dominican VJ Edgecombe (Baylor) with the third pick, which generated a great ovation from the fans present at the Barclays Center.
The fourth selection was for the Charlotte Hornets, who bet on Kon Knueppel, also from Duke, while Utah Jazz closed the Top 5 with Ace Bailey, who had avoided training with the 76ers during the pre-draft process.
