"Anyone but Dallas" - NBA fans react to Cooper Flagg's chances of landing on Mavericks

With the NBA Draft Lottery just a few hours away, fans of teams that failed to make the playoffs have already started debating where Cooper Flagg will land as he is expected to go first in the draft.

The Dallas Mavericks are among the teams hoping to get a top pick after missing the playoffs following an embarrassing performance in the play-in tournament. Drafting Cooper Flag might somewhat fix what Nico Harrison did with the Luka Doncic trade.

However, judging by the fans’ reactions on social media, there’s nothing they want less than bailing out Nico.

“Anyone but Dallas. Nico can NOT get bailed out for what he did,” one fan said.

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“Unless that was the plan all along...Lakers win, Mavs win, NBA writers win, tin foil hats win…,” another fan said.

“I could definitely see Nico immediately trading the pick. They’re in win-now mode after all,” said another fan.

“Mavs won’t get Flagg but will get #2 and Harper because 1) the NBA can’t make it too obvious and 2) Nico doesn’t like white boys,” a fan opined.

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While some saying that Flagg should be kept away from the Mavericks, one fan suggested that Dallas deserves happiness after all they have endured following the Doncic trade.

“Those Dallas fans deserve happiness way more than Nico and the Adelmans deserve punishment,” one fan said.

“Nico: We have picked Cooper Flagg Pelinka: More like Cooper Fat Nico: Yeah, more like Cooper Fat Dallas has traded Cooper Flagg to the Lakers for Bronny James,” a fan joked.

Which teams have the best chance of acquiring Cooper Flagg?

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At the time of writing, the Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz and Charlotte Hornets all have a 14% chance of landing the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The Pelicans have a 12.5% chance, with the 76ers having a 10.5% chance.

The Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Dallas Mavericks, Chicago Bulls, Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks all have single-digit odds to acquire the first pick.

While anything can happen in the lottery, the Wizards, Jazz and Hornets currently have the best chance at getting the No. 1 pick and, with that, Cooper Flagg. But, like we've seen in the past, any of the 14 teams mentioned above could leave the draft with Flagg on their roster.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by Nadim El Kak