The Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Wings both had the first overall picks in the 2025 drafts and landed the consensus best player. Both won Rookie of the Year, and both are just getting started.
After a neck-and-neck race between Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg, the Dallas Mavericks' first overall pick came out on top, winning Rookie of the Year after an elite season.
Flagg averaged an impressive 21 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists while already being one of the better defenders in the NBA. Keep in mind, he reclassified, entering college a year early, so he's even younger than the other rookies in the league.
On top of Flagg, Dallas has another top pick: the Dallas Wings selected Paige Bueckers first overall after a stellar UConn career. Bueckers, like Flagg, won Rookie of the Year, although the Wings finished with the worst record in the WNBA.
Both Flagg and Bueckers found success right away, although their teams lagged behind. Neither of them is worried about the long-term future, and the pair has conversed about how to bring Dallas basketball back to the top.
Flagg and Buckers to Lead Dallas Sports
While the present for both the Wings and Mavericks is rather bleak, the future couldn't be brighter. Both teams have generational players to build around and solid role players to elevate the young superstars.
On Tuesday, Flagg accepted his Rookie of the Year trophy and took a moment to outline how he and Bueckers plan to lead Dallas through some rough years.
"Obviously, she's in Dallas as well, and I think a very similar situation, like she was the number one pick," he started. "She came in, had an incredible first year. And so I think just having that support, knowing that there's somebody right there, right down the street that went through a very similar thing, and just having her reach out and have that support is huge."
The Mavericks have always been Team 2A in Dallas, behind the Cowboys, and with the rise of the WNBA in popularity, the Wings have a case to be DFW's third team, especially as the Rangers hover around .500. Hockey, meanwhile, shouldn't be played south of the Mason-Dixon line (the author, one should note, is from Michigan).
As women's basketball takes off, Flagg recognizes that Buekcers is leading the charge.
"For me and Paige to be here, I think it says a lot about the future, and just knowing how much of an impact she's had on the younger generation," he added. "And, you know, I've been able to feel a huge impact on the younger generation as well."
While the Wings picked first overall for the second season in a row and the Mavericks ar elooking ahead to the NBA Draft lottery, Flagg is right: the younger generation is getting ready to lead the way, and when they are, the basketball world better be ready.