Mavericks Fans Still Unhappy With Nico Harrison After Cooper Flagg Pick

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Warriors draft national championship star at No. 56

Yahoo

an hour ago

Yahoo

Warriors draft national championship star at No. 56

The Justinian Jessup era is official over in Golden State. The Warriors traded the rights to Jessup, their No. 51 pick from the 2020 draft, to the Memphis Grizzlies to move up from No. 59 to No. 56 and select March Madness hero Will Richard. Richard had 18 points, eight rebounds, and made four three-pointers in Florida's 65-63 win over Houston. He made a crucial steal with 26 seconds left to seal the game. Advertisement Why was Richard available with the 56th pick? It's because he's good at a lot of things but he isn't amazing at any of them. He was a 35.5 percent three-point shooter in college — pretty good! Not great. He's 6-foot-3 — a little short for a shooting guard, but with a 6-foot-10 wingspan. His shooting splits were 49/36/84, all good shooting numbers but not great. He does have a lot of potential as a defender and got 1.7 steals last season for the Gators. Richard's long arms do a lot to make up for his lack of height. He's also a solid rebounder, something that has been a hallmark for Golden State Warriors guards recently. Richard is described as a 'combo guard,' which often means a player isn't really a point guard or a shooting guard. He does play tough defense, meaning he could be the classic draft archetype of a three-and-D guy. The Warriors loves threes, after all, and are fairly fond of D as well. Richard is also very good in transition. Florida coach Todd Golden really loved Richard. 'The kid is an incredible light bulb, an incredible human being,' Golden said during the Final Four. 'We looked at his numbers at Belmont — incredibly efficient as a freshman, high-usage player, great rebounding rates, great steal rates, great block rates … We're like, 'If we can get 13 Will Richards on this roster, we're going to make the Final Four.' Advertisement The Warriors are probably looking at Richard as a two-way player, just like their other selection, Alex Toohey. But if nothing else, Richard should be a fantastic addition to the Warriors' team at Las Vegas Summer League and the Santa Cruz Warriors. He's a very fun player to watch and plays really hard. You could do worse at No. 56. More from

Mark Cuban Sends Surprising Message About Mavericks' Cooper Flagg

Newsweek

3 hours ago

Newsweek

Mark Cuban Sends Surprising Message About Mavericks' Cooper Flagg

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Dallas Mavericks made the move that had been long expected. Ever since the team won the NBA Draft lottery with a 1.8 percent chance, they had been expected to draft Duke star Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick. On Wednesday night, that move happened. Flagg is now a member of the Mavericks and will be looking to help the franchise turn back into an NBA Finals contender. After trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of the trade deadline last year, landing Flagg was a major stroke of luck. Nico Harrison has been given a second chance to get things right. US basketball player Cooper Flagg (R) shakes hands with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being selected first overall by the Dallas Mavericks during the opening round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center in... US basketball player Cooper Flagg (R) shakes hands with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being selected first overall by the Dallas Mavericks during the opening round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on June 25, 2025. More Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images Now, the question becomes, how will Dallas use Flagg? Read more: Report: Rockets Could Make Second Trade After Kevin Durant Deal During his college career with the Blue Devils, Flagg played forward. However, in the NBA, it's possible that the Mavericks could look to play him at another position. That is exactly what minority owner Mark Cuban is wanting to see. He wants to see Flagg play point guard and plans to let head coach Jason Kidd know that. As shared by Noah Weber of The Smoking Cuban, Cuban spoke out on the matter in a recent meetup with the press. "I'd send a text to J-Kidd, point guard, point guard, point guard, let him bring the ball up," Cuban said. He also said that the team is "going to have the biggest team in the NBA." Flagg has true generational talent. Should he reach his full potential, Dallas will have a very special player on its hands. Cuban knows that and he also knows just how wide of a skill-set the 18-year-old comes with. Read more: Jazz Receive Concerning Update Regarding Ace Bailey's Future In the 2024-25 college basketball season with Duke, Flagg played in 37 games. He averaged 19.2 points per game to go along with 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.4 steals, while shooting 48.1 percent from the floor and 38.5 percent from three-point range. All of that being said, it will be interesting to see what plans the Mavericks have in store for Flagg. They could look to play him at point guard or they could simply let him play his natural position of forward. Regardless of where they play him, Flagg is going to be one of the most watched players in the NBA during the upcoming 2025-26 season. For more on the Dallas Mavericks and general NBA news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.

Jason Kidd Makes Big Statement on Cooper Flagg Ahead of Summer League Debut vs. Lakers

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4 hours ago

Yahoo

Jason Kidd Makes Big Statement on Cooper Flagg Ahead of Summer League Debut vs. Lakers

Jason Kidd Makes Big Statement on Cooper Flagg Ahead of Summer League Debut vs. Lakers originally appeared on Athlon Sports. There was little doubt heading into Wednesday's first round of the 2025 NBA Draft about who the Dallas Mavericks would select with the No. 1 overall pick. All signs pointed to Duke Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg—and that's exactly who they chose. Advertisement Flagg now joins a Mavericks roster loaded with proven NBA veterans, including Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, and Kyrie Irving, on a team built to win immediately under head coach Jason Kidd—someone Flagg spoke highly of. 'He has a good vision for me and what I can do and how I can impact the game,' Flagg said. 'So I'm excited to just talk to him more.' The Newport, Maine native is set to make his Summer League debut in Las Vegas on July 10, when the Mavericks take on Bronny James and the Los Angeles Lakers. Ahead of that highly anticipated matchup, Kidd shared a bold statement about what he's most excited to see Flagg do in his debut against L.A. 'I want to put him at point guard," Kidd said. "I'm excited to give him the ball against the Lakers and see what happens." The Mavericks' second game in Las Vegas was announced on Friday, setting up a likely showdown between No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg and No. 2 pick Dylan Harper of the San Antonio Spurs. Harper, a standout freshman from Rutgers, is expected to be one of Flagg's top early career rivals. Advertisement One of the key storylines to watch will be how the Mavericks choose to manage Flagg's playing time throughout the Summer League—whether they allow him to play the full schedule or take a more cautious approach to preserve his health. Feb 12, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd looks on during the second half against the Golden State Warriors at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images As a freshman at Duke, Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game, leading the Blue Devils to 35 wins and a Final Four appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Related: Jason Kidd Admits To Sad Reality After Luka Doncic Trade This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.