US reporter: The Mavericks plan to choose Flag with the No. 1 pick, they won t use him to exchange for superstars

May 14th According to well-known sports reporter Tim MacMahon, after lucky draw, the Mavericks plan to select Duke forward Cooper Flag, and do not consider trading it for a famous superstar.

Earlier, Mavericks CEO Rick Wilz said: "I don't know who we will choose in the end, but it would be expected if he chose him. I think his resume is indeed strong enough. Every time people doubt whether he can meet the challenge, he not only successfully dealt with it, but also did much more than expected."

In addition, Tim MacMahon mentioned in his report that Mavericks boss Patrick Dumont will be able to select players like Flag with "generational talent" as a "gift from heaven." Although Dumont gave Harrison great freedom to operate basketball, the final decision-making power of all personnel decisions is still in his hands.

18-year-old Cooper Flag is 6 feet 9 inches tall. Since he announced his jump to grade and graduated from high school one year early to enter university, he has been regarded as the number one favorite in this draft.

As one of the most popular college freshmen in recent years, Flag's performance in his college rookie season exceeded expectations, winning almost all major player of the year awards in the United States, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game, leading Duke to score 35 wins and 4 losses and advanced to the final four.

The Mavericks originally had only a 1.8% chance of winning the No. 1 pick, so the lottery victory this time was completely unexpected. After trading Doncic, the Mavericks suffered a severe blow at the business level, and the team's future direction once became chaotic. In order to create the 2024 lineup that reached the finals, the Mavericks have given away all the first round picks from 2027 to 2030 (including direct transactions and swap rights). Flag's arrival is seen as a key step to "stop bleeding" in both competition and business