Cooper Flagg Goes No. 1 to Dallas, Capping Mavs’ Rapid Rebuild

NEW YORK — There was no drama or surprise at the top of the 2025 NBA draft as the Mavericks selected Duke freshman Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick Wednesday night.

Flagg, the 2025 Naismith Award winner as the top player in men’s college basketball, had been the overwhelmingly expected choice since Dallas won the NBA draft lottery last month, overcoming a 1.8% chance to do so. The Mavericks then inadvertently leaked the selection recently, and quite intentionally agreed to a contract extension Tuesday with star guard Kyrie Irving as he’s expected to join with Flagg and forward Anthony Davis to form the new core of the team. 

While it’s increasingly common that elite college talents leave for the NBA after just a year, Flagg’s rapid journey shows how prodigious and precocious his abilities are. Still just 18, Flagg tore through the collegiate ranks like someone far older, leading Duke to the Final Four this past spring, thanks to a highly rare combination of physical strength, athleticism, and shotmaking ability. 

Those attributes make Flagg stand out from other No. 1 NBA draft picks in recent years, many of whom were either international players or didn’t have the same major-conference success.

The selection extends a massive turnaround for the Mavericks after the midseason turmoil stemming from the trade of Luka Dončić to the Lakers, sparking widespread outcry among fans and team sponsors. In the three days after Dallas won the draft lottery, though, the team reportedly sold about $8 million in new season-ticket sales, with further boosts since then. 

“I am just amazed at the depth of the emotion and connection that the fan base has with the team,” Mavericks CEO Rick Welts said. 

The selection of Flagg garnered a hearty cheer among the assembled crowd at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, where the draft was held, while a separate event held at the American Airlines Center in Dallas featured renewed fans chants for Mavericks GM Nico Harrison to be fired.

“I’m excited to be a sponge, to get down there and just learn, be surrounded by Hall of Fame-caliber guys and just be able to learn from them,” Flagg said of the existing Mavericks roster. “It’s going to be an incredible experience.”

Big Money Now, Much More Later

That bump in new season-ticket sales will come close to Flagg’s salary for the upcoming season, before any other commerce happens. As the top overall pick, Flagg is eligible for a four-year, rookie-level contract worth $62.7 million, with $13.8 million of that arriving in the first season. 

Flagg’s future earnings, however, are at an entirely different level. Spotrac projected that should Flagg remain a star in the NBA, he is set to earn a total of $930 million between 2025 and 2038. At that latter date, Flagg will still be 31 years old, easily setting him up to surpass $1 billion in total on-court earnings. 

The off-court power, meanwhile, is already beginning to manifest. Flagg is aligned with New Balance, much better known in running than in basketball. While fighting established heavyweights in the sport such as Nike and the Jordan brand, New Balance is planning to relaunch its basketball business based heavily on Flagg. Among NBA draft prospects, Flagg is the only one aligned with New Balance.