Cooper Flagg selected 1st overall by Mavericks in 2025 NBA Draft

Field Level Media|published: Wed 25th June, 20:51 2025

Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Cooper Flagg poses with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as first overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks selected Duke phenom Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday night.

The announcement ended a months-long buildup for the 18-year-old Flagg, who had long been projected as the top selection. The only question was which team would get a chance to take him, and the Mavericks earned that opportunity when they won the NBA Draft lottery last month despite having just 1.8 percent odds of moving into the top spot.

Flagg figures to quickly provide a new face of the franchise for the Mavericks, who drew ire from their fan base after trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers last season.

The 6-foot-9, 205-pound Flagg helped guide Duke to an NCAA Final Four appearance after averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks as a freshman. He won the Wooden Award as the nation's best player while taking home ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC All-Defensive Team honors.

The Mavericks had the No. 1 overall pick for the second time in franchise history. They also had the top selection in 1981, when they drafted Mark Aguirre out of DePaul.

--Field Level Media