Latest news with #now-Laker
New York Post
28-06-2025
- 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.'
USA Today
16-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Mavericks GM Nico Harrison stands by Luka Dončić trade to Lakers: 'No regrets'
Mavericks GM Nico Harrison stands by Luka Dončić trade to Lakers: 'No regrets' Show Caption Hide Caption Luka Dončić moved to tears in return to Dallas Luka Dončić was moved to tears when the Dallas Mavericks shared a video tribute of the now-Laker. Fox - LA Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison and CEO Rick Welts spoke to select members of the media behind closed doors on Tuesday, just a day before the Mavericks' Play-in Tournament game on the road against the Sacramento Kings. The Mavericks did release a transcript of the conversation later and provided in full by various outlets, including It was just the second time Harrison spoke on the record with the media since the Mavericks acquired Anthony Davis in a trade that sent Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in a package deal on Feb. 2. Dončić was in his seventh season with the Mavericks and had just led Dallas to the NBA Finals in 2024. Nico Harrison's latest comments on Luka Doncic trade 'There's no regrets on the trade,' Harrison said. 'Part of my job is to do the best thing for the Mavericks, not only today, but also in the future. And some of the decisions I'm going to make are going to be unpopular, and that's my job, and I have to stand by it.' The decision to move on from Dončić led to a vocal group of the Dallas fan base showing up outside of the arena to express their displeasure. In the following weeks, fans are still heard chanting 'Fire Nico' throughout the arena during home games at the American Airlines Center. ESPN reporter Tim MacMahon asked Harrison about the GM's "three to four-year time frame" where he believes the team is ready to contend for a championship. 'I keep saying the same thing, but defense wins championships,' Harrison said. 'I believe that we have a championship caliber team, not only for now, but also for the future.' MacMahon also questioned the decision behind trading the Mavericks' first-round draft picks from 2027 through 2030 and Dončić. 'Obviously, the future will hold if I'm right or wrong, and ultimately, we're going to be held to the standard of wins and losses, and every executive in every field is going to be held to that same standard.' Dončić is known for his offensive ability, but the trade for Davis is expected to help bolster the Mavericks' defense. Davis has never won defensive player of the year, but has been held in high regard as one of the better defensive players in the league and has been named to an All-Defensive Team five times during the first 12 years of his career. The early results of the trade didn't look pleasing for the Mavericks, who lost several players to injury, including Davis, who was injured during his first game as a Maverick before returning for the last few games of the regular season schedule. The team had also lost star point guard Kyrie Irving for the season shortly after.
