DALLAS, TEXAS — The Dallas Mavericks made it official Thursday night, selecting Duke sensation Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft — a move that signals a bold new chapter in Big D.
Flagg, the 6-foot-9 forward from Maine, took the college basketball world by storm in his lone season at Duke. At just 18, he averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and made his presence felt on both ends of the floor with over a steal and a block per game. He didn’t just play well — he dominated, becoming the youngest Blue Devil ever to win National Player of the Year honors and leading Duke back to the Final Four.
The accolades piled up: First-Team All-American, ACC Player and Rookie of the Year, and more hardware than most collect in a full college career. He even broke the ACC freshman single-game scoring record with a 42-point explosion at Notre Dame in January. His impact? Historic. Flagg led Duke in every major stat category — a feat matched only once in the last quarter-century.
Internationally, he’s already made his mark. Flagg helped lead Team USA to gold at the U17 World Cup in 2022 and was selected to the USA Select Team ahead of this summer’s Olympic Games.
Now, he trades Blue Devil blue for Mavericks navy, donning the No. 32 jersey in Dallas. The message from the front office is clear: Flagg isn’t just a pick — he’s a cornerstone.
