COOPER FLAGG WILL BE THE NEW FACE OF THE Dallas Mavericks!
Armed with just a 1.8% chance of winning the NBA Draft Lottery, the Dallas Mavericks walked away with the top overall selection on Monday night, clearing the path for them to pick Duke star Cooper Flagg.
This marks a highly unexpected end of the season for the Mavericks, who traded superstar Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 1. Now armed with the No. 1 overall pick and some stars in varying states of health on its roster, Dallas has some options — and some crucial decisions to make.Will the Mavericks hitch their wagon to Flagg?
With the Mavericks acquiring Anthony Davis in the Dončić trade, the team shortened its championship window significantly, meaning you now have to wonder if the organization is still on that path, or if it will pivot toward a rebuild.The logical choice — selecting Flagg and initiating a rebuild — isn’t set in stone, especially after Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison has continuously voiced his belief in how close Dallas is to making a real run at a championship despite starting point guard Kyrie Irving’s ACL tear, which likely will leave him sidelined for most of next season.
If the organization insists upon remaining competitive, it’ll be difficult to justify keeping Flagg after pivoting off Dončić and arguing the trade got them closer to a championship.
At the very least, pairing an 18-year-old power forward with a former All-NBA big man who’s 32 will be an odd and suboptimal fit, with Davis making it well known he prefers playing power forward. Even if the Mavs give it some time, will a Year 2 or 3 Flagg have reached the level where he can feature as a key championship component?
And more importantly, will Davis and Irving still be impact contributors to boost Flagg’s rise?
