Cooper Flagg finally silences Mavericks rumor that fans once feared

The Dallas Mavericks have been one of the laughingstocks in the NBA since trading away Luka Doncic. Drafting Cooper Flagg has helped wipe away a big stain that was left since the trade, but Flagg was inheriting a loud fanbase and an unpopular GM, and fans everywhere wondered how Flagg would find his niche in such an environment.

Flagg has been welcomed with open arms, and he's loved Dallas the same way. Flagg, Max Christie, and Ryan Nembhard were on "The Old Man and The Three" podcast, and Flagg discussed his reaction to Dallas landing the No. 1 overall pick on lottery night. He didn't mean to make it seem like he wasn't excited about going to Dallas; rather, the 18-year-old wanted to stay as professional as possible.

"Being in Texas would be great. I was thinking about state taxes," Flagg said. "I was like, this is amazing. So, then I was just like, alright, now I got to contain my excitement...People say from my reaction, I didn't look happy, and I was just like trying not to react in any way and just kind of be stoic."

Cooper Flagg always wanted to play for the Mavericks

If anyone thought Flagg's quiet reaction was a sign he didn't want to be Maverick, think again.

In all of his interviews, Flagg has been one of the more calm, humble players out there. For his age, he's about as mild-mannered as it gets. Before the lottery, he tried to keep an open mind as to which team he was going to play for.

For the Mavericks, it was a gift from the basketball gods. Dallas had just a 1.8 percent chance to get the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. The Mavs have their future secured, and while it didn't quite erase Harrison's blunder to trade Doncic, the Mavs are about to get in the lottery again on one of the best freshman classes of all time. It's been a crazy year for Flagg for many reasons, but he's managed to keep his composure.

Flagg just so happened to be in the middle of one of the most chaotic moments in Mavericks history, but moving on from Nico Harrison was about the best way to help move on and start the Flagg era in full gear.

How Flagg became a franchise player as a rookie

After Anthony Davis was traded, Flagg became the face of the team and the future. We already knew he was eventually going to be the face next year and on, but the Mavs made the decision to move on completely from the Doncic-Davis trade.

It was never the fault of Davis that he had to endure such a hostile fanbase, but in order for the Mavs to move forward, they had to make a move to ensure Flagg was their guy for the future. In essence, the Mavs are playing the long game, but it was a move that had to be done.

In the second half of the season, the Mavs seemed content to not waste energy on this season and wait until the NBA Draft to find their next star alongside Flagg. Probably the right decision, and the Mavs have their guy for what fans hope is close to 20 years.