The Dallas Mavericks selected Duke phenom Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday night.
The announcement ended a months-long buildup for the 18-year-old Flagg, who had long been projected as the top pick. The only question was which team would get a chance to take him, and the Mavericks earned that opportunity when they won the NBA Draft lottery last month despite 1.8 percent odds.
Flagg figures to quickly provide a new face of the franchise for the Mavericks, who drew ire from their fan base after trading Luke Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers last season.
The 6-foot-8, 221-pound Flagg helped guide Duke to an NCAA FInal Four appearance after averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks as a freshman. He won the Wooden Award as the nation’s best player along with taking home other honors including ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC All-Defensive Team.
The Mavericks had the No. 1 overall pick for the second time in franchise history. They also had the top selection in 1981, when they drafted Mark Aguirre out of DePaul.