Mavericks' Cooper Flagg holds an unchangeable edge that will leave the NBA trembling

After 2025's rough end for the Dallas Mavericks in which saw the shocking Luka Doncic trade to the Los Angeles Lakers, then losing in the Play-In Tournament to the Memphis Grizzlies, the basketball gods smiled on the Mavericks in May.

Despite a 1.8 percent chance of winning the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, the Mavericks won the lottery in order to earn the right to select Cooper Flagg. In his one year at Duke, Flagg was remarkable, and he was clearly the top player entering the 2025 NBA Draft.

With the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Mavericks drafted Flagg. Drafting Flagg has brought insane energy and buzz around the city of Dallas. What's even bigger for the Mavericks is that there is a factor on why Flagg has the highest ceiling among the 2025 draft class.

Cooper Flagg's youth and talent should terrify the NBA

At 18 years old, Flagg is already being placed under high pressure, but is also expected to be a great player right off the bat. Flagg was recently predicted by 17 out of 20 NBA executives in an anonymous poll to win the 2026 NBA Rookie of the Year.

Flagg won't turn 19 years old until December 21. The fact that Flagg is already as talented as he is and will be able to play NBA basketball at an elite level at 18 years old can help him grow and mature. With his one season at Duke and his play in Summer League, Flagg showed why the ceiling will be as high as anyone in his draft class.

In his one season at Duke as a freshman, Flagg averaged 19.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, over four assists per game, and shot the ball well from the field and downtown. Flagg was a main reason why Duke made it to the Final Four in 2025 and dominated all parts of the game.

After being drafted by the Mavericks, Flagg then got to showcase his talent to the NBA world in July during Summer League. During Summer League, Flagg was a standout on the Mavericks. Flagg averaged 20.5 points, four rebounds, and two assists per game in Summer League play.

Summer League play was already a quick sign that Flagg has unbelievable potential to become a top player in the NBA. With already being projected to win Rookie of the Year by many, there will be more expectations for Flagg.

Flagg is already projected to be a main guy for the Mavericks roster immediately. With Kyrie Irving going to be recovering from his torn ACL during the season, Flagg was recently predicted to be the guy who will take the final shot in crunch time for the Mavericks. Being placed under pressure like that as a teenager is high pressure already, even before playing an NBA game, but it's something that Flagg can quickly embrace in his NBA career.

With Flagg in Dallas, the city feels rejoiced after the Doncic trade completely broke fans' hearts. Now, a new era will be embraced deeply by Mavs fans with Flagg being a highly talented player who is already loved on and off the floor. Dallas' home opener can't come any quicker for Mavs fans to roar loudly for Flagg when his name is announced at American Airlines Center.