How high are folks on Cooper Flagg? Well one former NBA Coach of the Year says he would take him over ex-Mavs star Luka Doncic…
Ahead of tonight’s NBA Draft, former Dallas head coach Avery Johnson told his colleagues at CBS Sports that he would rather build around Flagg than the five-time All-NBA guard that led the Mavericks to the Finals last year.
“Man, give me Cooper Flagg. This team is going to be tremendous once Kyrie Irving gets healthy,” Johnson said. “This team is gonna be built to be one of the best two-way teams in the league and they didn’t even have to really sacrifice any of their depth. … This is really exciting. The Mavericks’ future is bright.”
“Give me Cooper Flagg.”
Former Mavericks Head Coach @CoachAvery6 says he would take the potential No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg over Luka Dončić. pic.twitter.com/Uxo6EFBIyJ
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) June 25, 2025
Avery coached the Mavs from 2004-2007 where he posted a 190-74 record with an NBA finals appearance, multiple Coach of the Month awards and what still stands as the highest single-season win total in franchise history (67-15).
Unfortunately, that was also the same year that Dallas got bounced in the first round by Baron Davis and the “We Believe” Warriors, and the Mavericks followed that up with a second straight Round 1 exit the next year which ultimately led to Johnson’s firing.
As intriguing of a prospect as Flagg is, Luka Doncic has done things we’ve never seen before from a player his age and is a lock to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer even if he never gets better (he’s only 25).
With that said, the Mavs made their decision pretty clear when they shipped him out to LA this February. Little did they know Cooper would be waiting on them in the draft lottery though…
Related: Lakers, Celtics Have Reportedly Discussed Blockbuster Trade