Cooper Flagg's undeniable impact solidifies his No. 1 status. He's not just a scorer, but a franchise cornerstone bending games and anchoring both ends.
The Dallas Mavericks have had a disappointing season, but they can rest easy knowing that they have a guy who will be one of the faces of the NBA for a while in Cooper Flagg.
And despite his Duke college roommate Kon Knueppel having a spectacular rookie season of his own, the Mavericks would be nuts to consider drafting anyone else other than Coop if they were given a second chance.
In a recent article by Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley, he does a re-draft of the 2025 NBA Draft. And unsurprisingly, the 19-year-old from Maine still goes No. 1 to Dallas.
Flagg was the obvious No. 1 pick on draft night, and nothing that’s happened since has changed that.
Yes, Knueppel has been phenomenal. His elite shooting translated immediately, and he’s put up historic numbers from beyond the arc, even setting rookie three-point records and flirting with Rookie of the Year consideration. But a re-draft isn’t about who had the cleanest statistical specialty—it’s about who impacts winning, who bends the game, and who projects as a franchise cornerstone.
That’s where Flagg separates.
From day one, Flagg has shouldered a superstar-level role in Dallas. He is scoring at a high level at 21 points per game, and he even exploded for the first ever 50-point game by a teenager in NBA history.
But scoring is not the only thing that the former Duke phenom does.
His all-around production mirrors what made him the consensus top prospect: a rare blend of size, skill, and feel that allows him to control every phase of the game. He has even ran some point guard for the Mavs, and he has shown comfortability with just under five assists per game.
More importantly, his ceiling still feels untouched.
Knueppel may very well become one of the league’s best shooters for the next decade. But Flagg has already shown he can be the engine of an offense while anchoring a defense—two-way dominance that front offices covet above all else. It’s the difference between an elite complementary star and a player you build an entire organization around.
That distinction matters even more in Dallas. The Mavericks didn’t draft Flagg to fill a role—they drafted him to define an era. And despite the team’s ups and downs, he’s delivered on that expectation. Whether it’s carrying the scoring load, creating for teammates, or taking on the toughest defensive assignments, Flagg has embraced the responsibility that comes with being No. 1.
If the 2025 NBA Draft happened again tomorrow, the Mavericks wouldn’t hesitate. Cooper Flagg would still be the first name called—and this time, it would feel even more inevitable.