The Dallas Mavericks have no plans to trade the top overall pick after winning the lottery on Monday and intend to select Cooper Flagg, sources tell ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. The Mavs had only a 1.8% chance of winning the lottery.
The Mavericks surprisingly were in the lottery after reaching The Finals in 2024, but they dealt with injuries throughout the season and traded away Luka Doncic shortly before the deadline. Dallas was in the play-in and after defeating the Sacramento Kings, they would have been out of the lottery had they beat the Memphis Grizzlies in the second play-in to enter the playoffs as the No. 8 seed.
“I’m being told that the Mavs are not trading this pick,” said Marc J. Spears. “Rick Welts, their president, sent an email to all his employees today saying ‘This is a new day.'”
Sources told ESPN that Patrick Dumont considers the opportunity to be in position to draft a generational talent like Flagg a “gift.” Dumont has final decision on all personnel matters.
“I don’t know who we’re going to take, but should we take him, I think his resume is pretty strong,” Mavs CEO Rick Welts said Tuesday of Flagg. “Every time he’s put in a situation that everyone wondered if he could succeed, he’s succeeded and then some.”