Mavericks will grant Cooper Flagg his wish if new draft-night trade rumors are true

Today, Cooper Flagg is taking his official visit with the Dallas Mavericks, and the countdown to him becoming a Maverick has already started. The 2025 NBA Draft is eight days away, and with the Mavericks only working out Flagg (out of all the top prospects) and Flagg only visiting Dallas, it's inevitable that he becomes a Maverick next Wednesday night in New York City.

But drafting Flagg isn't the only move that Nico Harrison has up his sleeve for draft night. It has been rumored that the Mavericks want to trade back into the first round and secure an additional pick, and since they don't want to trade Daniel Gafford or P.J. Washington this offseason, this may be their best opportunity to find a guard who can help carry the load until Kyrie Irving returns from his ACL tear.

Flagg, in particular, would likely be ecstatic if the Mavs trade back into the end of the first round or the beginning of the second round and select his former teammate from Duke, Tyrese Proctor, and this must be a move that Harrison and the Mavs' front office considers as they try to plan a perfect offseason to jumpstart the Flagg era.

Flagg would love if he can reunite with Proctor on the Mavericks

Last season at Duke, Proctor averaged 12.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 0.8 steals per game while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 40.5 percent from downtown as the team's point guard. Proctor carried his strong regular season into the NCAA Tournament as he had 44 points over his first two tournament games while shooting 13-16 from downtown (81 percent), and he would be the perfect fit with the Mavericks.

With the Mavericks looking to add playmaking and ball handling, Proctor would bring all of that and more. While at Duke, he showcased his ability to run the show, but his ability to play off the ball is also appealing. His connectivity as an off-ball guard is what stands out, and with the Mavericks' lack of true combo guards, he'd slide into that role beautifully.

Proctor doesn't need the ball in his hands to make an impact, as his 3-point shooting off the catch is excellent. While he may not be as good off the catch as he is off the dribble just yet, he is enough of a threat that the defense always has to respect his jumper when he is on the perimeter.

Duke even ran some off-ball actions for him to get open threes throughout the year, and his off-ball ability might be what makes him attractive to the Mavericks. They need someone who can lead the offense in certain scenarios while also being able to transition to a complementary piece next to Irving, and Proctor would be solid in that role.

Standing at 6-foot-6, Proctor has the size to play plenty of shooting guard at the NBA level, and his performance on the defensive end from his three years at Duke proved he can be a good team defender as well as a stopper on the perimeter due to his length, heart, and versatility. He doesn't shy away from any matchups, and his energy and effort would help him right into Jason Kidd's scheme.

He is similar to Flagg in that way, as they both take pride in playing outstanding defense, and their connection that they built at Duke may continue into Dallas if they are eyeing him. The Mavericks attended Proctor's CAA Pro Day in Los Angeles earlier this offseason, and that brings up another connection he has with Flagg.

Flagg and Proctor share the same agency, and this could end up being one of the driving factors that leads him to become a Maverick in just over a week. Connections are everything in today's NBA, and with the Mavs starting this new era with Flagg, they need to do whatever they can to keep him happy.

Giving Flagg a familiar face in Dallas to work alongside in Proctor could be gamechanging for his rookie year, as it would give him a friend to lean upon as he goes through his rookie year, and with the Mavs eyeing to secure another draft pick next week, Proctor could be heading to Dallas when it's all said and done.