Duke star Cooper Flagg admits Mavericks are keeping him in the dark about No. 1 pick

It’s the day of the 2025 NBA Draft—a moment that has been eagerly anticipated since Florida won the National Championship back in April. Throughout the entire process, however, Duke’s Cooper Flagg has consistently been projected as the first overall pick. And with just a few hours remaining before the draft begins, that still appears to be the direction things are heading.

Dallas has done everything possible to hint that Flagg is their guy. It started with them being the only team to work him out. Then, reports emerged that he has already been dining with Mavericks players.

“After a Tuesday dinner with team officials in Dallas, Flagg had dinner on Wednesday with Mavericks players, according to NBA insider Marc Stein,” Bleacher Report’s Julia Stumbaugh wrote.

The Mavericks are in line to draft Flagg, which has Duke head coach Jon Scheyer believing Flagg will carry on a winning tradition.

“Dallas has been lucky for many years," Scheyer said. "They've been able to watch Dirk, Luka—so many winning teams. Now, you've got a guy in Cooper, who I think will carry that tradition forward."

As if the No. 1 pick hype wasn’t enough, LeBron James has also expressed confidence in Flagg’s future.

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“I personally think that he wants to be great. He had a h**l of a year at Duke. A guy that can do so many different things out on the floor. Can play with the ball, can play without the ball. His jump shot is going to continue to get better. Super athletic, quick second jump," James said.

Still, despite all the speculation, Flagg confirmed that he hasn’t received any official word from Dallas.

“I haven’t had that conversation at all,” Flagg said. “I’m just going through this process like everybody else. I did my workout, so I’m just going to see what happens tomorrow night.”

While most expect Flagg to land in Dallas, Mavericks GM Nico Harrison has a reputation for making surprising decisions. Passing on Flagg would be shocking—but based on his own comments, it can’t be completely ruled out.