By Jamal Baker
NDG Contributing Writer
Dallas Mavericks wing/forward and 2025 NBA Draft No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg will enter a situation in Dallas where he will have two former Duke Blue Devils to mentor and guide him as he begins his career.
Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively both starred at the blue blood college basketball program and Flagg will look to tap into the Duke brotherhood to prepare for the rigors of an NBA season.
Irving is recovering from ACL surgery but he will certainly still be a steadying and veteran presence in the locker room throughout his rehab process.
“I’m making sure that he’s feeling as comfortable as possible, giving him any little detail or any little thing to give him. Because whenever I was in his position, I remember how frightened I was, and I was only 19 and he’s 18,” Lively said.
Flagg is coming into the league with major expectations—according to FanDuel, he is a heavy favorite to win Rookie of the Year next season with -185 odds.
However, Lively knows his rookie is a grounded individual that stays true to himself without letting outside pressures knock him off his mark.
“I’ve probably known him for a couple of years now, at least two or three years, and he’s just been the same, just smiling, cracking joke kid as I’ve always known,” Lively said. “I’m glad that he’s been able to still be a person and not having too much of the spotlight just rain on him.
“No matter if he’s in the gym, no matter if he’s come by the house, he’s always just had a smile on his face, and he’s always just being Coop.”
Flagg is poised to thrive in the NBA, where he will be equipped with mentorship, maturity and a mindset built for long-term success.
The Mavericks are heading into next season with a revamped roster that has received tempered expectations from sports betting markets and national media pundits.
A year ago, the idea that superstar point guard Luka Doncic would no longer be on the roster and replaced by a core that now includes superstar big man Anthony Davis and Flagg would’ve seemed impossible.
Yet here we are.
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon expects Flagg to be an immediate starter but notes that the Duke phenom won’t have to shoulder the full offensive burden typically placed on most No. 1 overall picks.
“Flagg is projected to be an instant starter,” MacMahon wrote. “But he won’t be expected to carry the team as a rookie surrounded by accomplished veterans, most prominently former No. 1 pick and 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis, who was the headliner in the return package for Luka Doncic.”
As Irving recovers from his injury, MacMahon believes the Mavericks’ playoff hopes hinge on the star point guard’s health.
“The biggest factor in the Mavs’ playoff positioning, or lack thereof, could be the impact made by another former No. 1 pick and future Hall of Famer,” MacMahon wrote. “When will Kyrie Irving return from his torn left ACL? If it’s this season, can he return to All-Star form for a team that needs his offensive creation?”
According to ESPN, Dallas has a 73.1% chance of finishing in the Western Conference as a play-in team (seeds 7–10). They have a 23.1% chance of being a 5 or 6 seed, and just a 3.8% chance of missing the postseason completely. Their odds of finishing in the top four are listed at 0%.
The Mavericks enter the season as one of the league’s most polarizing teams—balancing the promise of a new era with the uncertainty of health and chemistry.
