Flagg has been the obvious No. 1 pick all season, but Harrison's decision to trade the 25-year-old Dončić for a 31-year-old Anthony Davis suggested that Dallas was all-in on the present. Had that been the case, Dallas could have offered Flagg for a number of veteran All-Stars, most notably Giannis Antetokounmpo should he become available.

The Dallas Mavericks were the winners of the NBA lottery, and their claim of the No. 1 pick likely means the arrival of Cooper Flagg on draft night in June. While some around the league have doubts about the fit, Rich Paul says it's an ideal situation for the young swingman from Duke.

The forward led Duke to an 89-62 win over SMU in an ACC matchup at Moody Coliseum. Flagg scored 24 points on 7-of-12 shooting, coming down with a team-high 11 rebounds. His highlights included a poster dunk on 7-2 SMU center Samet Yigitoglu.

The projected No. 1 overall draft pick may have grown a bit in his one-and-done Duke basketball campaign.

Every so often, the unpredictable happens in sports, and that's exactly what unfolded for the Mavericks during the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery. With a slim 1.8% chance to snag the top pick, Dallas came out of nowhere to pull off an unprecedented miracle.

The talent speaks for itself,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “But I love coaching the person. He’s all about the right stuff.”

NBA fans on X chimed in with their reactions to the Flagg-Pippen comparison as it grabbed attention on social media. One user commented that Flagg's ability to take over a game is more reminiscent of LeBron James than Scottie Pippen, while another questioned whether Flagg is the same type of "quick-twitch" athlete Pippen was in his prime.