Overview
- The Dallas Mavericks defied 1.8% lottery odds to win the top selection and choose Cooper Flagg from Duke University as their first overall pick.
- At 18 years and 186 days old, Flagg is the youngest top pick since LeBron James and is praised for his all-around skill set and defensive instincts.
- Flagg plans to learn from Mavericks stars Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson after debuting in NBA workouts.
- Noa Essengue became the highest-drafted French player this year when Chicago chose him at No. 12 following a breakout season with Ulm in Germany.
- The Mavericks aim to accelerate their rebuild behind Flagg’s two-way potential as Irving recovers from injury and the team adjusts to recent roster changes.