Former Maverick pitches wild Cooper Flagg trade that would divide Dallas immediately

After winning the NBA Draft Lottery on Monday night, the Dallas Mavericks have the opportunity to make the obvious shoe-in selection with the No. 1 overall pick by picking Cooper Flagg out of Duke University. Flagg is a tantalizing prospect on both ends of the floor with limitless potential, and this is exactly the type of player the Mavericks want to build into the future with after trading Luka Doncic on February 1.

Of course, with how volatile GM Nico Harrison has proven to operate by trading his previous franchise cornerstone in Doncic, fans were persistent in their fear that Dallas would trade the No. 1 pick (Flagg) for a veteran superstar that fits more of a win-now timeline. Even though fans' fears will remain to a certain extent until Flagg shakes NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's hand in a Mavericks cap on draft night, recent reports indicate the Mavericks have absolutely no plans of throwing away this gift from the basketball gods.

The Mavericks and their upper brass realize the destruction the Doncic trade caused from a financial standpoint, at the very least, and Flagg is almost the antithesis of Doncic both on the court and from a lifestyle perspective. The young man is a grade-A athlete, is in elite physical shape for an 18-year-old, takes care of himself tremendously off the court, and can be one of the best defenders in the NBA when he comes in day one.

Pinson suggests Mavericks use Flagg to undo the Luka Doncic trade

Expectations are soaring for Flagg after his freshman year at Duke, where he won a flurry of awards, including National College Player of the Year, and he's been highly touted as one of the best prospects this generation has ever seen since nearly the beginning of his high school career in Maine. Despite this, former Maverick Theo Pinson suggested the Mavericks should trade Flagg to the Los Angeles Lakers for their former superstar in Doncic on X.

Pinson didn't outright say the Mavericks should go get Doncic now, but the premise and his line of thinking is clear. First off, as much as Mavericks fans covet Doncic, which is likely far more than they covet Flagg for most fans, given Doncic's seven-season tenure in Dallas, Pinson is neglecting the fact that the NBA simply doesn't work like this.

If the Mavericks were somehow to try and attempt to trade the No. 1 overall pick for Flagg, it would be too much of a drastic turnaround for both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Mavericks, considering all the organizational upheaval both franchises have gone through in the last few months. Yes, Harrison trading Flagg for Doncic would be an absurd way to cap off the wildest five-month saga in Mavericks history (by the time of the draft), and the Mavericks would inevitably gain a decent chunk of their fanbase back, including a ton of more European fans.

However, Dallas is already seeing a large chunk of their fanbase return after their miraculous drawing of the No. 1 pick, and there are too many factors at play to simply re-trade for Doncic. Newly promoted Lakers-GM Rob Pelinka may not even accept the offer if Harrison called on this, and Harrison would be guiltily admitting how disastrous the Doncic trade was far too soon, likely sacrificing a lot of his own personal dignity and vision for the team by bringing Doncic back.

This isn't to say Harrison was justified in trading away Doncic, but as talented as Doncic and Flagg both are, there's simply no point in punting on a potential face of the franchise that can potentially become as good as Doncic one day and is 7.5 years younger than him. Inserting Doncic into this Dallas lineup with Anthony Davis would immediately make the Mavericks contenders, possibly even making them the clear favorites to win the title this year, but it's doubtful Doncic himself would ever want to come back to Dallas while Harrison is still running the team.

Doncic got wronged in the worst way possible by Harrison and the Mavericks, regardless of Dallas' reasons for trading away Doncic, and if Doncic ever makes a reunion in Dallas, it would be way down the line, likely in the twilight of his career once Harrison is far removed from the organization. Flagg is Dallas' new centerpiece for years to come unless he shockingly becomes a bust (extremely doubtful), and the Mavericks would look like clowns for trading him for Doncic this season, even if it would increase Dallas' championship odds in the immediate future.

In layman's terms, Flagg can potentially bring championships to Dallas far longer than Doncic can given their age difference, and while Doncic is far more proven and isn't past his prime by any means, the Mavericks can't throw away the chance to draft someone who could possibly even be better than Doncic one day.