Mavericks insider drops bombshell on Cooper Flagg as team stands resolute

Dallas Mavericks insider Tim McMahon confirmed that Cooper Flagg would be picked with the first pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, after securing it with the NBA Draft Lottery, which was held on Tuesday.

Speculations swirled around the motivations of the Mavericks with the first pick, with many suggesting that General Manager Nico Harrison would use it to execute a trade for a superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo.

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Tim McMahon dispelled the notion and shared that the team's priority was drafting the phenomenon from Duke, who has been attracting a lot of interest from teams. Cooper Flagg will be forming a Duke duo with Kyrie Irving when he returns from injury.

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After one of the most controversial seasons in Mavericks history, the Dallas front office will be breathing a sigh of relief with the imminent addition of Cooper Flagg.

The Mavericks only had a 1.8% shot of securing the first pick in the lottery but the chips fell their way, allowing them a chance to reorient their future plans. Distraught Mavericks fans had panned the decision to trade away Luka Doncic and many showed their protest by canceling season tickets.

Drafting a future star like Flagg is sure to reduce such acrimony. Although the Mavericks season petered out to a disappointing end and new star Anthony Davis barely got a chance to make a mark, the next season promises to be a fruitful one for the Mavericks where they will be keen to utilize Flagg's skill set around veteran stars Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson.

About the author

Amlan Sanyal is a basketball writer at Sportskeeda with more than two years of experience. Amlan has a soft spot for the lovable loser, and years of supporting Leeds Utd, the Seattle Mariners and San Antonio Spurs have made him realize that there's more to sport than just championships.

Amlan started falling for basketball after watching the San Antonio Spurs in 2012 and 2013. He watched as a collective of veteran legends, underrated misfits and a young defensive stud extended the Spurs' era of dominance with a team-oriented style, reminiscent of the aesthetic brilliance of 2011 FC Barcelona.

Amlan has supported the Spurs ever since, even after enduring the heartbreaks of Ray Allen's corner three and several years in the wilderness post-Kawhi Leonard. He hopes Victor Wembanyama will become the face of the league as Pop rides off into the sunset.

When not working, Amlan is a keen quizzer and a podcast buff and can usually be found reading books, watching movies or listening to history podcasts.

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Edited by Amlan Sanyal