Dallas Mavericks fans and players welcomed Cooper Flagg with open arms as soon as the team drafted him with the No. 1 overall pick in June’s draft. Flagg entered the league after leading the Duke Blue Devils to a Final Four appearance in the 2025 NCAA tournament, although he couldn’t make it to the championship game.
In his first and only season at Durham, Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists. He took Jon Scheyer’s team to a No. 1 ranking (35-4 record) and the ACC championship.
Flagg joins a team with established veterans who can only help improve his game. The best part of it is that he’ll share touches with fellow Duke alumni Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II.
Dereck Lively II is making Cooper Flagg his rookie
While speaking at the Mavs Academy Hoops Camp, Dereck Lively II explained he’s taken charge of mentoring and helping Cooper Flagg settle in. The veteran center recalled his experience becoming a pro at that age and how Flagg has responded to the new challenges.
Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks walks on the court during a break in the second half of a 2025 NBA Summer League game against the San Antonio Spurs
“I’m making sure that he’s feeling as comfortable as possible, giving him any little detail or any little thing to give him,” Lively II said. “Because whenever I was in his position, I remember how frightened I was, and I was only 19 and he’s 18. He’s just been the same, just smiling, cracking joke kid as I’ve always known. I’m glad that he’s been able to still be a person and not having too much of the spotlight just rain on him.”
The Mavericks won’t have Kyrie Irving for a big chunk of the season due to an ACL injury, but Flagg surely can count on the 2016 NBA champion to mentor him, too.
