No shocker at No. 1: Flagg heads to Dallas


As expected, Cooper Flagg was welcomed to the NBA by Commissioner 
Adam Silver as the draft’s No. 1 pick Wednesday night in New York.
SARAH STIER/GETTY IMAGES

Mavericks select Flagg with draft’s No. 1 pick

Native of Maine was national player of year in lone season at Duke

26 Jun 2025
The Washington Post
BY BEN GOLLIVER

NEW YORK — The Dallas Mavericks selected Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick of the NBA draft Wednesday night, capitalizing on their good fortune in the draft lottery to take the 18-year-old basketball prodigy from rural Maine.

Flagg, who graduated from high school in three years and earned national player of the year honors during his freshman season at Duke, became the first White American to be selected with the top pick since Kent Benson in 1977 and the first Maine native to be drafted since Jeff Turner in 1984.

When he stepped onto the Barclays Center stage to shake hands with Commissioner Adam Silver, Flagg wore a blue three-piece suit that hinted at the Mavericks’ color scheme. In Dallas, he will join a veteran team in transition following a stunning blockbuster trade that sent franchise guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in February.

“It’s so surreal to be here for a moment I’ve dreamed about for my whole life,” Flagg said. “It’s been a lot of work. When you get some recognition and people start talking about you, you just have to keep working. I’m trying to be a sponge [in Dallas]. I’m really looking forward to getting down there and learning as much as I can.”

After Flagg’s headlining moment, the San Antonio Spurs selected Rutgers guard Dylan Harper at No. 2, the Philadelphia 76ers took Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe at No. 3, the Charlotte Hornets opted for Duke guard Kon Knueppel at No. 4, and the Utah Jazz selected Rutgers forward Ace Bailey at No. 5.

The Spurs, who already have all-star guard De’aaron Fox and reigning rookie of the year Stephon Castle in their backcourt, opted to keep Harper rather than trade the highly skilled lead guard, who averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists during his one-and-done season at Rutgers. Harper said he hoped he could be San Antonio’s third consecutive rookie of the year after Victor Wembanyama and Castle.

“When you play with such good players, it just elevates your game,” Harper said. “When you’ve got that many ballhandlers on the court, you can really space the court out. It makes the game so much easier for everyone else. Having the opportunity to be on the floor with all of them is great. It’s definitely a goal of mine to make it three [rookies of the year] in a row. I think the coaching staff and the players are going to make it easy for me to go out there and showcase my talent.”

The Washington Wizards were rumored to be targeting Bailey during the predraft process. They ultimately selected Texas guard Tre Johnson with the sixth pick. Bailey, who declined and canceled workouts with several teams in recent weeks, said he had “no idea” Utah intended to select him.

“The little kid in me is smiling hard right now,” he said. “I know the hard work, the sacrifice, the blood, sweat and tears not just for me but that my family put into this. I’m just blessed to be here. I don’t know a lot [about Utah], but I’m learning as I go. I know it gets cold and hot up there. I’m used to the cold because I’ve been in New Jersey. I’m used to the heat because I’m from the South. I can get along with it.”

Once Johnson went to the Wizards, the New Orleans Pelicans selected Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears at No. 7, the Brooklyn Nets went for BYU guard Egor Demin at No. 8, the Toronto Raptors took South Carolina forward Collin Murray-boyles at No. 9, and the Phoenix Suns selected Duke center Khaman Maluach with the No. 10 pick acquired from the Houston Rockets in the trade for Kevin Durant.

To round out the lottery, the Memphis Grizzlies selected Washington State forward Cedric Coward with the No. 11 pick acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers, the Chicago Bulls chose French forward Noa Essengue at No. 12, the Pelicans opted for Maryland center Derik Queen at No. 13 with a pick acquired from the Atlanta Hawks, and the Spurs selected Arizona forward Carter Bryant at No. 14.

But the night belonged to Flagg, who drew loud cheers from the Brooklyn crowd when his name was called to open the festivities. Despite hailing from tiny Newport, a town in central Maine with a population of roughly 3,000, Flagg emerged as the most coveted American prospect in more than a decade, and his selection by Dallas came as no surprise.

After leading Nokomis High to a state championship as a freshman in 2022, Flagg transferred to national powerhouse Montverde Academy in Florida for his sophomore season while earning significant attention from scouts and fans thanks to strong play on the AAU circuit and for USA Basketball’s youth teams.

“It means a lot to me to have the support of the whole state [of Maine],” Flagg said. “I know how many people showed up today and supported me at some of the draft parties back home. It feels amazing knowing I can inspire younger kids. I was in their shoes not that long ago.”

Flagg led Montverde to an undefeated season in 2023-24 and reclassified to fast-track his enrollment at Duke in 2024 and gain eligibility for the 2025 draft. While not every high-level prospect is capable of such an ambitious approach, Flagg has a rare combination of physical and emotional maturity.

The 6-foot-9 forward shined last summer during a scrimmage against Lebron James, Stephen Curry and the U.S. men’s team as it prepared to win gold at the Paris Olympics, solidifying his position atop 2025 draft boards before he stepped foot on Duke’s campus. Flagg then averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals while leading the Blue Devils to the Final Four, establishing himself as the best player in college basketball despite his youth.

Flagg, who won’t turn 19 until Dec. 21, became the NBA’S youngest top pick since James arrived in the league directly from high school in 2003. Given his size, athleticism, high basketball IQ and exceptional motor, Flagg projects as a possible franchise player capable of dominating on offense and defense.

The Mavericks slipped into the lottery with a late-season swoon and had just a 1.8 percent chance of winning the top pick. By beating the odds, Dallas made Flagg its first No. 1 selection since Mark Aguirre in 1981.

Once he makes his NBA debut, Flagg will become Duke’s fourth active No. 1 pick, joining Kyrie Irving, Zion Williamson and Paolo Banchero.

“My mindset has always been to be a winner,” Flagg said. “I’m going to try to win as hard as I can everywhere I go. I’m looking forward to being successful and winning a lot of games [in Dallas], for sure.”

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