ON THE AFTERNOON of May 12, Cooper Flagg`s immediate family gathered in his hotel room at the Marriott Marquis in downtown Chicago. Present were his twin brother, Ace, his father, Ralph, and his mother, Kelly. They were getting ready for the 2025 NBA draft lottery, scheduled for 7 p.m. local time at the nearby McCormick Place Convention Center.
Before they left, the family of the Duke freshman and widely projected No. 1 overall draft pick spent about 30 minutes discussing his future. They had previously weighed potential landing spots, but this was a final conversation before Flagg, one of the most anticipated American prospects in years, would soon learn where his NBA career would likely begin.
For months, the family understood that the Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz, and Charlotte Hornets had the best odds for the top pick. In their room, they reiterated the positives for each team. Washington was a short flight from Maine and North Carolina, where the family divided their time. Charlotte offered similar proximity and a ready-made fan base for Duke players. Utah was led by CEO Danny Ainge, whose time with the 1980s Boston Celtics teams resonated with Cooper`s parents, who introduced their sons to those teams early on.
They also considered a singular, unavoidable negative. Like many top prospects, Flagg had never experienced prolonged losing in his career. Regardless of his performance as a rookie, he was almost certainly headed for a season with significant defeats. Although he often stated he “just wanted to hoop” anywhere, those around him expressed concern about how the highly competitive player would emotionally adapt to such a situation.
“It would be hard for me to imagine Cooper going through a season with a lot of losing,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer told ESPN.
Flagg`s father acknowledged this concern. “It was something we talked about,” he said.
Shortly after, the family walked to the convention center. Flagg`s representatives advised them that cameras would be watching, especially as the lottery order was announced. Any strong reaction would make headlines, so they were encouraged to remain neutral.
Flagg sat in the front row next to his Duke teammate, Kon Knueppel. Ralph, Kelly, Ace, and Flagg`s longtime trainer Matt MacKenzie were seated just behind him. Facing the stage, they watched NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum quickly announce the first 10 picks. Even in that brief period, there were surprises.
Both Washington and Utah fell out of the top four, while the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs unexpectedly moved up. Sitting in their seats, the family tried to maintain their composure while considering these new possibilities. Flagg had even briefly imagined a potential pairing with 7-foot-5 Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs` 2023 top pick.
Then, Tatum announced the next pick: Charlotte. This left Dallas, San Antonio, and the Philadelphia 76ers in the top three. According to ESPN Research, the probability of this specific top three occurring was just 1%.
Just 12 seconds later, Tatum declared the 76ers would pick third and the Spurs second. This confirmed that the Mavericks, who entered the night with a mere 1.8% chance, had won the lottery.
The Mavericks had the fourth-lowest odds to secure the top pick since 1985. Their jump of 10 spots was the largest by any team since the NBA adjusted the draft lottery format in 2019, making it a truly shocking outcome.
IN ONLY A FEW minutes, the Flagg family`s entire outlook, months in the making, completely shifted. The announcement sent shockwaves across the NBA. A franchise and its fan base, still reeling from the disruptive midseason trade of superstar Luka Doncic, were now positioned to draft another potentially transformative talent in Flagg.
From their seats, Flagg`s family was equally stunned. “Dallas wasn`t even on our bingo card,” his father, Ralph, remarked.
Text messages flooded in. Were they happy? Sad? Why the lack of reaction? Did they grasp what had just happened?
Their minds raced with the implications. Instead of the pressure of being the best player on a struggling team, he would join a team that reached the NBA Finals just a year prior. He would, by any standard, be seen as the player to help mend the rift left by Doncic`s departure, a player who achieved five All-Star selections and five All-NBA First Team honors by age 25.
Flagg would immediately face a different kind of pressure, one few No. 1 picks experience: helping established All-Stars like Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II win in the NBA, and quickly.
“We never even considered that the impossible could happen on May 12,” a Mavericks team source stated. “I`m not sure there has ever been a more abrupt reversal of fortune.”
JON SCHEYER, WHO coached Flagg for one season at Duke, watched the lottery from his hotel in Amelia Island, Florida, during the ACC spring meetings. “To me, it`s a dream spot,” Scheyer said of the Mavericks. “I really feel that way.”
As Flagg and his family left the convention center that night, they began to feel the same. Two former Duke players, Kyrie Irving and center Dereck Lively II (a first-round pick in the 2023 draft), were already on the Mavericks roster. Scheyer soon told Flagg that Lively II and Khaman Maluach (another Duke player) were among the best individuals he had coached. Flagg had played alongside Maluach during his freshman year at Duke; now he would likely play alongside Lively II in his inaugural NBA season in Dallas. “Enjoy that!” Scheyer told him.
They believed Flagg could learn from players with championship experience, such as Irving, and hopefully, retired Dallas legend Dirk Nowitzki, along with the coaching staff including Jason Kidd.
“He`s not going to go into Dallas thinking he`s got all the answers,” Scheyer commented. “He`s coming in to learn from Kyrie, from [Dereck Lively II]. He`s going to learn from Jason Kidd and his staff. He`s coming in to learn, and I think that`s a special part about him.”
Like many, the Flagg family had observed the significant backlash from Mavericks fans following the abrupt trade of Doncic the previous season. They saw jersey burnings, symbolic funerals, and protests. To them, however, this reaction signified passion – a strong, albeit strained, bond with the organization.
“They are a very passionate fan base,” Ralph said, “and I think from what we understand and what we`ve seen on social media, they`re ready to fully embrace Cooper.”
“Dallas has been fortunate for many years,” Scheyer added. “They`ve watched Dirk, Luka – so many successful teams. Now, they have Cooper, who I believe will continue that tradition.”
His impact on the organization was immediate, starting with the team`s finances. “We surprisingly renewed 75-80% of our season tickets,” a Mavericks team source revealed. “But we had substantial work ahead to regain the confidence and support of a considerable portion of our fan base.”
The source added, “We sold $8 million in new season tickets in the three days following the lottery.”
After the fan discontent from the Doncic trade, one company considering a sponsorship with the Mavericks had paused discussions, the source noted. However, after witnessing the lottery results and the positive fan response, that same company agreed to a new sponsorship deal with the team.
“We have completed two additional new sponsor deals, one being the second largest in our history, since the fortunate outcome of the lottery,” the Mavericks source confirmed.
Following the lottery, Flagg traveled across the country, training with MacKenzie at a gym in Westlake Village, near Los Angeles. He visited North Carolina for his brother`s high school graduation and then Maine for his former classmates` graduation at Nokomis. The Flagg family has booked an Airbnb in Las Vegas to watch him play during the summer league. While draft parties are being arranged in his hometown of Newport, Maine, the family found temporary respite from the constant media attention in Westlake Village, where Flagg continued preparing before heading to New York for the draft.
Recently, the family visited a Hugo Boss store in Los Angeles for Flagg`s draft night suit fitting. Watching the specialists work with Flagg, the significance of the moment – and the impending start of his NBA journey – dawned on those around him. They exchanged glances, realizing how quickly everything had unfolded.
“He`s in a good mental place,” MacKenzie stated. “He`s physically ready, and I believe he`s prepared for this next phase of his career.”
