Dallas Mavericks drop truth bomb that all but confirms draft plans for Duke legend Cooper Flagg

Cooper Flagg took the world by storm early in his high school career. He’s considered the most highly touted high school prospect since LeBron James—despite the fact that this should technically be his first year of college. Flagg reclassified during his junior year, allowing him to graduate early and enter the draft a year ahead of schedule.

Despite the excitement around him, Flagg’s name has appeared in various trade rumors. The Mavericks even traded Luka Dončić during the regular season, proving that anything is possible. Regardless of where he's drafted, Flagg is eager for the chance to face James on the court.

“Somebody that obviously [I wanna play against] I think [is] LeBron. I think that would just be cool to be able to play against him. Obviously, I think his time is kind of coming to an end soon in the next couple of years or whatever. So I think just being able to play against him would be kind of a surreal feeling and just knowing that what he’s been able to do for the game and being able to accomplish is just insane,” Flagg told The Deep 3.

On Sunday, it was reported that the Mavericks will hold a private workout with Flagg.

“Cooper Flagg plans to have a private visit with the Mavericks in Dallas on June 17, sources tell ESPN. One week after his first official Mavs visit, Flagg is set to be Dallas' No. 1 pick in the NBA draft on June 25,” wrote ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Further reports confirmed that Flagg will be the only prospect the Mavericks work out, effectively silencing any remaining trade speculation.

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“The Mavericks have no plans to work out any other prospects for the No. 1 pick and have made clear publicly and privately that they plan on selecting Flagg when Adam Silver puts them on the clock to open the 2025 NBA Draft,” Jonathan Givony wrote.

All signs now point to Flagg becoming a Maverick and hearing his name called as the No. 1 overall pick.