The Dallas Mavericks may have a new potential franchise superstar in consensus first pick Cooper Flagg. After an electric career at the high school and collegiate level, Flagg is coming in as one of the youngest rookies ever, as he won’t turn 19 until Dec. 21.
However, the pressure will be immediate for the rookie, who will enter a Dallas team featuring future Hall of Famers Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving. However, during his introductory press conference, it wasn’t a slip but an inquisitive look towards his general manager that set the internet ablaze.
Cooper Flagg Goes Viral On Luka Dončić Trade
While Flagg is now seen as the future of the Mavericks, the franchise was previously in steady hands with Slovenian superstar Luka Dončić. But in a move widely considered one of the worst trades in NBA history, the Mavs dealt Dončić practically in exchange for Davis.
Dallas lucked into adding Flagg after the trade, but the young forward clearly hasn’t forgotten that history. ESPN’s Tim McMahon mentioned the franchise’s timeline during his introductory press conference.
Starting with Dallas legend Dirk Nowitzki, his focus turned to the last MVP-caliber player on the team, Dončić, leading Flagg to curiously side-eye general manager Nico Harrison. Every social media outlet caught the moment, as they were able to connect the dots.
Cooper Flagg’s side-eye at Nico Harrison after the reporter mentions Luka Doncic would have become the face of the Mavericks but plans changed 💀💀pic.twitter.com/fIxGDCeuqU
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) June 27, 2025
After leading the league in scoring and taking the Mavericks to a Conference Finals and NBA Finals appearance in three years, both firsts since 2011, the Dončić trade came out of left field, with Harrison’s explanation sounding more like an excuse.
However, in the weeks leading up to and coming out of the 2025 NBA Draft, the general manager of the Mavericks has changed his tune considerably. After promising a win-now window as his main reason for making the trade, Harrison has gone on a different tangent.
With quotes like “Fortune favors the bold” and “I hope fans see the vision,” he’s pitched the Flagg pick as part of a long-term master plan, despite the team’s 1.8% chance of winning the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA lottery.
That “vision” was difficult to see as the Mavericks pushed for a playoff spot last season. The team rushed Davis back from injury and leaned heavily on Irving, who played 35 or more minutes in 23 of his previous 27 games, indirectly leading to a torn Achilles for the superstar point guard.
Even after Davis re-aggravated his injury, Dallas continued to push for a playoff spot, winning the first Play-In matchup against the Sacramento Kings before losing to the Memphis Grizzlies in the second Play-In game. Despite this, luck helped the franchise, and they walked away with a generational talent.
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Flagg led the Duke Blue Devils in every statistical category last season, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.4 blocks and steals. The Mavericks have a potential superstar and future MVP candidate on their hand.
But even he seems to know it isn’t through some genius “vision” of his new general manager.
