3 bold Cooper Flagg predictions after going No. 1 to Mavericks in 2025 NBA Draft
The post 3 bold Cooper Flagg predictions after going No. 1 to Mavericks in 2025 NBA Draft appeared first on ClutchPoints.
The Dallas Mavericks officially selected Cooper Flagg in the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday. Flagg was expected to be the No. 1 overall pick, as he features the ceiling of a superstar. However, what should fans expect for his career in Dallas?
Advertisement
Flagg played well during his one season at Duke. His NBA future is exciting to say the least. Now, we will be looking at three bold predictions for Flagg. Don't expect to see the basic predictions such as Flagg taking home the Rookie of the Year, as that is certainly not anywhere near bold (although, I do expect Flagg to win the Rookie of the Year).
Without further ado, here are three bold Cooper Flagg predictions after getting selected by the Mavs in the NBA Draft.
Cooper Flagg starts the NBA All-Star Game as a rookie
The thought of Flagg making the All-Star Game as an 18-year-old rookie is fairly bold in itself. The idea that he will start the game — especially in the loaded Western Conference — unquestionably meets our criteria for the bold requirements.
Advertisement
The fact of the matter is that Dallas will rely on Flagg more than one may expect in his rookie season. With Kyrie Irving set to miss the first portion of the 2025-26 campaign while recovering from ACL surgery, Anthony Davis will emerge as the Mavs' primary scoring option. There is a realistic opportunity for Flagg to become Dallas' secondary scoring option as a rookie, though.
Klay Thompson is going to receive a respectable amount of shots per game. PJ Washington is a capable scorer. Dereck Lively II has continued to take steps forward (more on him later). However, if this Dallas offense wants to reach its full potential without Irving, it will need Flagg to step up alongside AD.
When one factors in Flagg's defensive potential as well his intriguing scoring ceiling, the idea of Flagg emerging as one of the best players in the NBA during the 2025-26 season doesn't seem as difficult to believe.
Mavericks bring home a championship within Flagg's first three seasons
I'm not claiming that the Mavs will win the NBA Finals in 2025-26. The future is suddenly bright for this team once again, though, something that fans may have questioned before the NBA Draft Lottery given the previous Luka Doncic trade.
Advertisement
Anthony Davis will likely spend the next couple of seasons in Dallas. Kyrie Irving intends to sign a new three-year contract with the Mavs. Dereck Lively II could become a star down the road. Klay Thompson is a four-time champion. And with Cooper Flagg now on the roster, this team's championship window is open.
It may require a year or two, especially with Irving's injury, but I expect the Mavericks to win their first championship since 2011 within the next three seasons.
Cooper Flagg and Dereck Lively II emerge as star duo
My last prediction focuses on two former Duke stars. It is easy to forget that despite entering his third NBA season, Dereck Lively II is still only 21 years old. Cooper Flagg, meanwhile, won't turn 19 years old until December.
Advertisement
Once Kyrie returns, Irving and Davis will lead the way. Irving is 33 and Davis is 32, though. Flagg and Lively represent the Mavs' future.
Lively has displayed signs of becoming a star early in his career. Injuries have unfortunately limited him. If he can stay healthy, Lively could take a big step forward. He has also been working to develop a 3-point shot, and his game will reach another level if he earns the green light to shoot long-range attempts in games.
Flagg features a balanced all-around game. The Lively-Flagg duo projects to work well together. They can both help to anchor a defense while impacting the game on the offensive end of the floor.
The final prediction is that Flagg and Lively will emerge as a star duo in the NBA.
Related: Mavericks' Cooper Flagg asked about Jason Kidd rumors after going No. 1
Related: Mavericks' Cooper Flagg breaks silence on draft lottery rigging conspiracies
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
"Nobody's talking about The Mamba when comparing who's the best," Iverson says The exclusion of Kobe in the GOAT debate is ridiculous45
"Nobody's talking about The Mamba when comparing who's the best," Iverson says The exclusion of Kobe in the GOAT debate is ridiculous45 originally appeared on Basketball Network. The NBA's greatest of all-time debate isn't one that will die out as the rhythm of the conversation has long been set with Michael Jordan at the forefront, his shadow stretching over generations of basketball greatness. Yet, it's not always the mention of a name that ignites controversy. Advertisement Sometimes, the names that are left out send shockwaves through the discourse. Allen Iverson, one of the most influential guards to ever lace up in the NBA, knows the weight of legacy and the repeated exclusion of Kobe Bryant from the GOAT conversation isn't just an oversight. It's a blatant erasure of basketball history. Bryant's case Iverson battled through Bryant's era. Their careers, linked by an era of grit, intensity and uncompromising competitiveness, overlapped in a way that only peers can truly speak on. In his eyes, no debate about greatness is whole without Kobe's name firmly in the mix. Advertisement "Right when you think Mike is the greatest, which he is, but then, Kobe Bryant come along," Iverson said. "Then you got LeBron James. I get kind of upset at times when people talk about the comparison of LeBron and Mike. And I'm like, 'damn.' "People kind of forget [about Bryant]. I would say out of mind is real. Nobody's talking about The Mamba when comparing who's the best that ever played?" Bryant won five NBA championships, claimed two Finals MVP awards, had an 81-point masterpiece against the Toronto Raptors — a performance that remains the second-highest scoring performance in league history — and is an 18-time NBA All-Star. He also claimed two Olympic gold medals and is the only player with two jersey numbers retired, each representing a different phase of greatness. Advertisement Iverson doesn't pretend to crown Bryant above Jordan. His admiration for Jordan remains intact, but he gives Bryant his flowers. That proximity is earned, not gifted. It's forged from 20 seasons of relentless competitiveness, 33,643 career points and an unyielding desire to outwork everyone in the gym. Kobe didn't ask to be compared to Jordan but trained to force the comparison. Related: "We only needed one more guy" - Patrick Beverley says the Clippers lost SGA because Kawhi thought he needed more help Creating the legacy When Bryant entered the league in 1996, he was just a wiry teenager obsessed with greatness. Over the years, that obsession morphed into transformation. He became the closest thing the league had ever seen to the man who ruled Chicago for 13 years. Advertisement "As far as GOAT, it's Michael Jordan all day long, and Kobe Bryant is right on his heels," Iverson said. Iverson and Bryant famously clashed in the 2001 NBA Finals, where the Philadelphia 76ers stole Game 1 in Los Angeles behind Iverson's unforgettable 48-point performance. But it was Bryant who Iverson said scared him most during that series. The Lakers superstar averaged 24.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists during the Finals as his team won the title. Iverson knew Bryant as a competitor, a rival and, ultimately, a brother in the fraternity of greatness. He is always surprised when Bryant is being overlooked in the all-time great debate. The conversation around greatness will never be neat. There are no neat boxes for the messy, generational weight of legends. But Iverson has seen enough to know what should never be left out. Advertisement The GOAT debate isn't only about who finished with the most rings or the best stats. It's also about the impact — the fear a player puts in opponents' hearts, the weight of their presence on the floor and the standard they set for everyone else. And by every one of those measures, Kobe belongs right there. Related: Larry Brown on the biggest difference between Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant: "He was coming back from the club at six o'clock in the morning" This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Cowboys' Brian Schottenheimer Oddly Placed On Coaching Hot Seat List
Cowboys' Brian Schottenheimer Oddly Placed On Coaching Hot Seat List originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Dallas Cowboys Brian Schottenheimer has come under fire over the past 72 hours, with Colin Cowherd thinking he will be one-and-done as head coach. Advertisement Now, we have Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio naming his coaches who are on the coaching hot seat entering 2025. Yes, and you can guess where we're going with this. In Florio's list, Schotty makes the top five, coming in at No. 4. "The key to knowing Schottenheimer's job security is to know whether and to what extent he has guaranteed money beyond 2025," Florio writes. "He was on exactly zero teams' short lists during the latest hiring cycle. For the Cowboys, who wanted to have offensive continuity for quarterback Dak Prescott, it was either Schottenheimer or Eagles offensive coordinator (new Saints coach) Kellen Moore. Schottenheimer came cheaper. Advertisement "How cheap? So cheap that there would be no buyout if he's fired after one year? If so, Schottenheimer could need to do enough in 2025 to earn his employment for 2026." Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian SchottenheimerKirby Lee-Imagn Images Do we have to point out again that owner Jerry Jones has never parted ways with a head coach after one Well, we feel like we have to. Plus, would all this effort of allowing Schottenheimer to change the culture and how things are done, with the playing group and a whole new coaching staff, be done with the thought of Schottenheimer only having one year to get the ultimate prize? We find that hard to believe. But again, it is the slow time media-wise with teams on a break before training camp; however, let's put a little more thought into lists like this. Advertisement Barring a 0-17 season, we can't see Jerry pulling the trigger on Schottenheimer in 2025. Related: Cowboys' Dak Prescott Reveals How He's 'Grown To Trust' His Body Related: Cowboys Trade for Trey Hendrickson Rumor Gets Dallas Response This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
NBA trade grade: Thunder send Dillon Jones to Wizards; open roster spot
Oct 9, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Dillon Jones (3) runs down the court between plays against the Houston Rockets during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images Less than a week after they won their first NBA championship, the Oklahoma City Thunder have already shaken up the roster. They sent Dillon Jones and a 2029 second-round pick to the Washington Wizards for Colby Jones. The latter was subsequently waived. The Thunder faced a roster crunch after Thomas Sorber's arrival. Jones got the short end of the stick and was shipped out after just one forgettable year. The 23-year-old gets a fresh start after he barely played in his rookie season. Advertisement Let's break down the Thunder-Wizards trade and the meaning for both sides. At the end, Thunder Wire will assign a final grade on the deal: Why the Thunder made the move The Thunder are the rare NBA champions whose entire roster is on the books for next season. That's great news on the surface. Of course, you'd love to run it back with the same group that got you the Larry O'Brien trophy. But some small consequences do exist. If the Thunder added anybody from the draft to their standard roster, that meant somebody needed to get booted. After they drafted Sorber with the No. 15 pick, it was only a matter of time. Most expected either Jones or Ousmane Dieng. It turned out to be the guy most thought the Thunder would keep because of his novelty. Advertisement Dieng survived this roster crunch. Despite only a year left on his contract, the Thunder stayed with the younger player who's shown more flashes on the NBA and G League court. The 22-year-old has had solid stints, but injuries have hampered him from sticking in the rotation. Meanwhile, Jones struggled from the get-go. The 23-year-old couldn't fit an off-ball role. He put up stats in the G League, but wasn't as dominant and seamless as Dieng. He struggled to keep up with NBA-level athletes and made avoidable mistakes. The Thunder also received some financial breathing room. They waived Jones on a contract that's easier to eat. He only had $2.2 million guaranteed next season. Much less than Jones' $2.8 million guaranteed next season. They are now $7 million below the tax. Why the Wizards made the move At this stage of their rebuild, the Wizards are in player development mode. They have several prospects on their roster and added another in Jones. The Rockets' 2029 second-round draft pick isn't half-bad either and could be used as a trade chip down the road. Advertisement Jones' playing time was only going to dwindle. The Thunder are a title contender with several better options ahead of him. They were enamored by his physical and skill traits at Weber State, but the jump to the NBA didn't land as smoothly as they had hoped. Instead, Jones gets a fresh start on the Wizards. Wizards GM Will Dawkins spent 15 years on the Thunder, so it shouldn't be a shocker to see him like some of their prospects. In Washington, perhaps he can get more on-ball reps than he would've in OKC. Either way, this was worth a shot. Jones is only guaranteed one more year in his rookie deal. He has team options of $2.8 million in 2026-27 and $5.2 million in 2027-28. Worst-case scenario, you can move on from him and only have to give up somebody you weren't going to extend. Final thoughts Sam Presti loved Jones. The small-school forward was on his radar for two years. You can kinda see why. A bowling-ball forward who can playmake and run the offense is an intriguing archetype. But physical limitations, nonexistent shooting and age made it difficult to see him break out in the NBA, much less on OKC. Advertisement The five future second-round picks needed to acquire Jones were a pretty penny to spend, yes. But what's a few bucks to a team sitting on a pretty pile of draft picks? Especially second-round picks. The whole point of hoarding draft picks is to be afforded the luxury to overpay and not feel a hole burned in your wallet. The Thunder dealt six future second-round picks in Jones's one season — five when they traded for him and one attached to trade him away — but who cares? It's a bad trade, sure. But it's not worth losing sleep over. It was easy to predict he wouldn't work out in OKC, but you can't stop taking swings when you're afforded to attempt them. Jones had one of the more forgettable Thunder tenures ever. Seldom do you see OKC pull the plug on first-round players after just one season. But you'd rather see them eat the loss than fall for the sunk cost fallacy. Final Grade: C-minus This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: NBA trade grade: Thunder send Dillon Jones to Wizards
