Latest news with #Doncic
New York Post
14 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Post
The rare opportunity Cooper Flagg has that makes him feel ‘blessed'
Cooper Flagg is in a rare, but fortunate situation. Most first overall draft picks are tasked with instantly becoming the No. 1 option of a team coming off all-time-low types of seasons – but Flagg won't necessarily have that burden as he joins a Dallas Mavericks team alongside likely future Hall of Famers Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving. 'A lot of people in this position or this situation aren't granted this opportunity, so I just feel really blessed and grateful for the situation I've been given,' Flagg said Friday during his Mavericks introductory press conference. 'I'm just looking forward to being a sponge. Just getting down here, I'm excited to just learn, soak it all in and learn from the guys that are older and have been through it all before.' 3 Cooper Flagg at his introductory press conference alongside Mavericks GM Nico Harrison (left) and head coach Jason Kidd (right). NBAE via Getty Images Dallas is fresh off a 2024 NBA Finals appearance led by now-Laker Luka Doncic, but the Mavericks found themselves in the draft lottery following season-derailing injuries to Davis and Irving following the blockbuster Doncic trade. With just a 1.8 percent chance at landing the No. 1 pick in the draft, the unthinkable became reality as the Mavericks captured Flagg. 3 Kyrie Irving is recovering from a torn ACL but will likely be in the mix for the Mavericks at the end of next season. AP Despite missing the playoffs, the foundation remains for the team to be contenders with a roster that, aside from Doncic, remained mostly intact after the 2024 finals run. While Irving likely won't return from his ACL injury until the back half of the season, Davis and another future Hall of Famer, Klay Thompson, who was added last offseason, should provide plenty of stability for Flagg to find his NBA footing while not needing to instantly take on a colossal workload. 'Those guys have so much knowledge,' Flagg said of his new veteran teammates. 'They've been through so much, and they have so much experience that it's just going to be an incredible opportunity for me to learn and grow under them.' 3 Anthony Davis was acquired by the Mavericks in the Luka Doncic trade but dealt with injuries upon his arrival. Getty Images While he may not be the No. 1 option right away, Flagg will seemingly take the torch of the franchise that was passed first from Dirk Nowitzki to Doncic. 'I'm coming in just trying to learn and trying to get better every single day,' Flagg said. 'If I can do that to the best of my ability, I think expectations and pressures that other people will put on me and our team, that will kind of work itself out. 'So I'm just trying to come in and be the best that I can be and just win at the highest level.'
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Colin Cowherd hits Luka Doncic with warning after Lakers sale
The post Colin Cowherd hits Luka Doncic with warning after Lakers sale appeared first on ClutchPoints. Luka Doncic witnessed a historic sale unfold in the sports world Wednesday. His Los Angeles Lakers will no longer be in the hands of the Buss family. Jeanie Buss sold the team for $10 billion — but Colin Cowherd issued a warning to Doncic after. Advertisement The national radio personality for Fox Sports 1 and L.A. resident chimed in on the sale Thursday. Mark Walter now leads the Lakers ownership group moving forward. There's a new aura of curiosity and excitement for the Lakers post-Buss family. But Cowherd warned Doncic what he's really getting himself into with Walter at the helm. By bringing up a high-profile move Walter pulled with his other team the Los Angeles Dodgers. 'That ownership group and the front office moved off Cody Bellinger, a National League MVP, and Corey Seager, a World Series MVP,' Cowherd reminded. 'If [Luka Doncic] doesn't get in shape, if Luka doesn't defend at a higher level, they'll move off him. They will hold Luka accountable.' Doncic has dealt with weight and conditioning issues by his critics. He proved to impact the Lakers in the short time he played with the team after the mega February trade. The Minnesota Timberwolves still eliminated the Lakers and Doncic right away in the first round of the NBA playoffs. But Cowherd believes the new ownership won't have much patience if Doncic doesn't produce. Luka Doncic reacts to Lakers sale Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Doncic joined in reacting to the stunning franchise sale. He took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his response. Advertisement 'The Lakers are an amazing organization. I'm looking forward to meeting Mark and excited about the future,' Doncic began. 'I am also grateful to Jeanie and the Buss family for welcoming me to LA, and I'm happy that Jeanie will continue to be involved. I look forward to working with both of them to win championships!' Walter watched the Dodgers capture the 2024 World Series title. He earned a strong endorsement from Magic Johnson. Doncic, meanwhile, will become one of the Lakers leading the new movement under Walter. But as Cowherd noted, Walter has helped move out beloved Dodgers players who he felt weren't performing to championship standards inside Chavez Ravine. Related: Lakers rumors: How new owner will be 'valuable resource' for LeBron James Related: Lakers rumors: Nick Wright predicts Austin Reaves' trade value after Desmond Bane deal
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cooper Flagg enters near-perfect situation with Mavs, Nico Harrison
The Dallas Mavericks were destroyed by the often unforgiving court of public opinion after they traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Then, the Mavericks – and general manager Nico Harrison who has been reviled by fans for trading Doncic – got lucky. Advertisement With a 1.8% chance to win the draft lottery and the No. 1 pick in the draft, Dallas' ping pong balls came up winners. On Wednesday, the Mavericks selected Duke's Cooper Flagg No. 1, giving the franchise a stunning ability to recover quickly from the Doncic trade. Dallas is a team with championship aspirations. Harrison made it clear that goal wasn't possible with Doncic, professing a 'defense wins championships' mantra. With the Flagg pick, Harrison also got a reprieve. Rarely does a team that made the Finals one season (2024) get the No. 1 pick the following year. Mavs ownership has entrusted Harrison's vision, and he caught a break with the lottery victory. Advertisement READ MORE: 2025 NBA Draft Round 2: Best players still available Dallas made the play-in game but missed the playoffs this season. How soon can the Mavericks return to contender status? The West remains loaded with excellent teams, and champion Oklahoma City is the favorite to win the West in 2025-26. All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, who just reached a new three-year, $119 million deal with the Mavs, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in early March and will miss a significant portion of next season, and All-Star center-forward Anthony Davis has a notable history of injuries that have sidelined him. Other injuries contributed to a 39-win season. Advertisement Even with that, the Mavs have a quality roster with Daniel Gafford, Klay Thompson, Dereck Lively II, Max Christie, P.J. Washington, Caleb Martin, Naji Marshall and Jaden Hardy. Now, all those players might not be on the roster when the season starts in October. Given the number of big men, lack of shooting and Irving's injury, Harrison will look for backcourt help. And the Mavs are focused on developing Flagg. It's a near-perfect situation for Flagg. He's not headed to a team that lost 60-plus games last season and is in a painful rebuild. 'My mindset has always been to be a winner, so I'm going to try to win as hard as I can everywhere I go,' Flagg said. 'I'm looking forward to being successful and winning a lot of games, for sure.' Advertisement As NBA-ready as he is with his maturity, skillset and physical attributes, he's not going to Dallas as the sole answer on a team that needs massive help. There's always pressure on the top pick, but this situation alleviates pressure and gives him and the team freedom for growth without a clock ticking and a referendum on his potential game in, game out. Flagg gets to play for Dallas coach Jason Kidd, one of the game's all-time great point guards. He knows the game and sees the game and can translate that to players, including superstars. He coached Giannis Antetokounmpo with Milwaukee and Doncic with the Mavs, and he loves being in the gym teaching. That's going to help Flagg. He also joins two former Duke players – Irving and Lively – on the roster. Though all three played just one season at Duke, Blue Devils ties run deep and bind. 'I'm really excited,' Flagg said. 'I keep saying I'm excited to be a sponge, to get down there and just learn, be surrounded by Hall of Fame-caliber guys and just to be able to learn from them. It's going to be an incredible experience.' Advertisement The Mavs leave behind a turbulent season and move forward with a plan that could convince fans that trading Doncic was the right decision. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cooper Flagg gets perfect situation with Mavericks, Nico Harrison
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Mavericks fans start 'Fire Nico' chant at NBA draft party before Cooper Flagg pick
The Dallas Mavericks defied all odds by landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, which the team used to select Cooper Flagg on Wednesday. Drafting a generational talent in Flagg, however, didn't appear to appease the Mavericks' fanbase, which remains irate at general manager Nico Harrison. The Mavericks hosted a draft watch party at the American Airlines Center in Dallas on Wednesday and, with the Mavericks on the verge of selecting Flagg, fans broke out in "Fire Nico" chants. The chant has become a catchphrase among Dallas fans after Harrison brokered a blockbuster deal to trade Mavericks superstarLuka Doncic, in addition to Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris, to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick on Feb. 2. After the trade, the Mavericks almost immediately suffered back-to-back injury blows — Kyrie Irving suffered a season-ending ACL tear on March 3 and Davis missed 18 consecutive games after getting hurt in his Mavericks debut on Feb. 8. The Mavericks failed to make it out of the NBA play-in tournament, though the Lakers didn't fare much better. Los Angeles was eliminated in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves, 4-1. The Mavericks may have lost one franchise star in Doncic, but they seemingly landed another in Flagg after Dallas won the first overall pick in the NBA Draft Lottery despite only having a 1.8% chance to win. "A new era begins tonight," the Mavericks said on social media on Wednesday. Mavericks fans sure hope so, but it looks like they will need a little longer to mourn the loss of Doncic. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
Fox Sports
3 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Dallas Mavericks select Cooper Flagg with the 1st pick in the 2025 NBA Draft
The Dallas Mavericks have no more jaw-dropping news or tricks up their sleeve and have selected Duke freshman Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. This choice was pretty much a foregone conclusion after the year Flagg had at Duke, making it a simple decision for whichever team held the first overall pick. But nothing is ever certain in the NBA. In a year when the Mavericks made one of the most shocking trades in NBA history — trading away what seemed to be the cornerstone of their franchise, Luka Doncic, to the Los Angeles Lakers — general manager Nico Harrison faced immense pressure to make up for what many considered a disastrous trade. Just his luck, the Mavericks won the NBA Draft lottery despite having just a 1.8% chance of landing the No. 1 pick, and, unlike Doncic, they weren't going to trade away that coveted asset. Flagg was one of the most anticipated recruits in the past decade, often being brought up in comparison to fellow Duke star and No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson, another Duke standout and former No. 1 pick. Flagg lived up to the hype — and even surpassed it. In his lone year, he paced Duke in points per game (19.2), rebounds (7.5) and assists (4.2), while leading them to a 31-3 regular-season record. The Blue Devils made their way back to the Final Four, where they ultimately lost to the Houston Cougars. Following the season, Flagg was awarded the Naismith National Player of the Year, the Associated Press Player of the Year, and the John R. Wooden Award. He also claimed ACC Player of the Year honors. He became the fourth freshman in NCAA history to win NPOY. Now that Flagg has made it to the NBA, all eyes will be on him to be the next superstar, and reinvigorate the franchise that traded Doncic. He's in a great position, with the opportunity to learn from four-time All-NBA forward Anthony Davis, and, potentially, play alongside another former Duke star, Kyrie Irving, who is expected to return from injury later this season. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
