Mavericks make first rumored step toward Cooper Flagg becoming their franchise savior

On May 12, right after Mark Tatum announced that the San Antonio Spurs had the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Dallas Mavericks history changed forever. Dallas officially secured the No. 1 pick in this summer's draft, and they plan to take Cooper Flagg with that selection on June 25.

Dallas has no plans of trading that pick, even for a superstar player, and the first step in making Flagg a Maverick has officially been revealed, and it's approaching quickly. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Flagg is scheduled to have a pre-draft visit with the Mavs on June 17 in Dallas.

Flagg coming to Dallas and getting to know some people within the organization is a necessary step that the Mavericks needed to take before drafting him, and now we have an official date for his visit after it had been rumored for some time.

Cooper Flagg's long-awaited Dallas visit is now officially locked in

The atmosphere in Dallas has been electric ever since the Mavericks won the draft lottery, as the team has a new sense of life after trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis at the trade deadline last season. A large percentage of fans had given up on their Mavs fandom altogether due to the franchise's shocking decision to trade Doncic, and winning the draft lottery was truly the only way they could win fans back this summer.

Fans didn't want the team to trade for a third superstar to pair with Davis and Kyrie Irving. They just wanted someone to call their own and to go through the highs and lows with, like they did with Doncic and Dirk Nowitzki, and that's what they'll get with Flagg.

Loyalty is everything within Mavericks basketball, and while that philosophy got thrown into the dirt last season, they have a chance to make a change for the better this time around.

There is a different feeling about a player who begins his career with a team rather than getting traded or signed in free agency, and Flagg is already beloved in Dallas before they have even officially drafted him.

Flagg was the best possible player the Mavs could have added to their roster, and if he pans out like he is projected to, he will take the reins in a few years and become the Mavericks' new superstar once Irving and Davis are gone. His fit in Dallas is perfect, as he can learn from Davis and Irving while not having to take on too big of an offensive load right away, and his pre-draft visit will allow the coaching staff and those inside the organization to get to know him better as a person and player.

This pre-draft visit will give the Mavericks a much better grasp of what Flagg is going to bring to their team for years to come while giving him an inside look at what life will be like for him as a Maverick. Getting to know members of the coaching staff and front office while also touring the facilities that he will be in on a daily basis will be crucial for him to get comfortable ahead of the draft, and this will be his first look at his new city since learning the Mavs won the draft lottery.