What Dallas Mavericks fans had long been hoping for finally became reality on Wednesday night, as Dallas selected Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft. The buzz around Flagg’s arrival has already sparked widespread comparisons — particularly to franchise legend Dirk Nowitzki — as fans and analysts alike speculate on what Flagg’s presence could mean for the Mavericks moving forward.
After the draft, former Mavericks owner Mark Cuban — who was in attendance — spoke to reporters and offered a lighthearted comparison between Flagg and Nowitzki. When asked about the similarities between the two, Cuban leaned into the personalities both stars bring to the floor.
“Dirk would talk his game and tell you what he was going to do,” Cuban said. “And you see that with Cooper, too. Cooper likes to talk trash. The difference was… Dirk would say it in German and no one understood it. So now someone needs to ask him (Flagg) if he knows any foreign languages.”
Flagg, widely regarded as the top talent in this year’s draft class, arrives in Dallas with considerable hype. His performances throughout the past year had scouts and front offices convinced he was a generational prospect — one of the most complete players to enter the league in recent memory.
Still, Flagg isn’t letting the pressure get to him. Speaking at his introductory press conference, the 6-foot-9 forward struck a humble tone. “I’m coming in just trying to learn and trying to get better every single day,” he said. “I think I can do that to the best of my ability.”
“Expectations and pressure — other people will put that on me,” Flagg continued. “As a team, we’ll figure things out. I’m just trying to come in and be the best that I can be.”
The Mavericks are already looking ahead to what’s possible with Flagg in the fold. With a talented supporting cast around him, Dallas believes it can contend for an NBA title within the next two seasons.
Veteran forward Anthony Davis is expected to anchor the team early in the 2025–26 NBA campaign, with Klay Thompson and the rookie Flagg forming a formidable trio. Kyrie Irving is also slated to return from injury later in the year, giving the Mavericks one of the league’s most intriguing rosters.