But bringing Flagg in could make a few other players expendable. Dallas has a big need at point guard, as Kyrie Irving is out until at least January after tearing his ACL in March, and it could be longer than that.

This is emphatically not the situation Cooper Flagg is about to walk into. If everything goes right, the Mavericks -- who improbably won the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on Monday night -- could genuinely contend for the 2026 championship.

On Monday, the Dallas Mavericks stunned the NBA by winning the draft lottery and therefore the right to take Cooper Flagg, the Duke University freshman phenom, with the No. 1 overall pick in next month's draft.

“We’re looking forward to seeing everyone in the building,” said Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Welts, who on Jan. 1 succeeded the retired Cynt Marshall as CEO. During his 47-year career, Welts also has overseen business operations of the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors.

A resurfaced video shows a 13-year-old Flagg running basketball drills while wearing a Mavericks t-shirt. Despite barely being a teenager, Flagg is shown running back and forth across the baseline to defend a corner three-point shot. As he travels back toward the basketball, Flagg is passed the ball, which he dunks repeatedly.

The Dallas Mavericks acquired the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft lottery on Sunday. Having traded Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in February, they now plan to use that pick on Cooper Flagg.