No matter where he plays, Flagg will give the Mavs’ creaking core some much-needed juice. Which is enough, at least for now.

Cooper Flagg and his Duke men’s basketball teammates were hanging out on a Saturday night in February, celebrating a home win over rival North Carolina, when freshman guard Darren Harris checked his phone and read aloud the news in disbelief: The Dallas Mavericks had traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Luka Doncic is already preparing for next season, and any team that has to face the Los Angeles Lakers will be in trouble, especially the Dallas Mavericks.