Mavericks Draft Duke Phenom Cooper Flagg No. 1, Launching Post-Doncic Era

The Dallas Mavericks selected Duke forward Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The 18-year-old is only the second top selection in franchise history, a position Dallas secured despite having just a 1.8% chance in May’s draft lottery.

Flagg arrives as the consensus national player of the year after averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists in his lone collegiate season and leading Duke to the Final Four. He will wear No. 32 in Dallas and is expected to slot alongside veterans Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis as the Mavericks rebuild following February’s trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Under the NBA’s rookie salary scale, Flagg is projected to receive a four-year contract worth up to about $62.7 million, beginning at roughly $13.8 million next season, with additional earnings likely from existing endorsement deals estimated at more than $28 million. His selection marks the start of a new era for a franchise seeking to return to contention after finishing 39-43 last year.