Spanish
New York, June 25, 2025 (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks made official what many expected: they selected this Wednesday the phenomenon from Duke, Cooper Flagg, with the first overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, in a move that could mark a new era for the Texan franchise.
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With just 18 years old, Flagg became the hope of Dallas fans, who are still digesting the shocking departure of Luka Doncic, traded in February to the Los Angeles Lakers. The choice of Flagg seems to be a direct bet on finding the team's next superstar. Flagg, originally from Maine, was named College Player of the Year after averaging 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds in his only season in college basketball, leading Duke to the Final Four. Immediately, it was announced that he will use the number 32 in his new stage with the Mavericks. The forward joins a select list of Duke players chosen first overall in the draft since 1999, including Elton Brand, Kyrie Irving —who will be his new teammate—, Zion Williamson, and Paolo Banchero. The selection of Flagg also marks a return to a traditional trend in the draft: selecting a one-and-done American college player as number one, after two consecutive selections of prospects born in France (Victor Wembanyama in 2023 and Zaccharie Risacher in 2024). In the rest of the draft, the San Antonio Spurs took guard Dylan Harper (Rutgers) with the second pick, while the Philadelphia 76ers selected Dominican VJ Edgecombe (Baylor) with the third pick, unleashing a great ovation from the fans present at the Barclays Center. The fourth selection went to the Charlotte Hornets, who bet on Kon Knueppel, also from Duke, while Utah Jazz closed the Top 5 with Ace Bailey, who had avoided training with the 76ers during the pre-draft process.
