Cooper Flagg brings $8 million business boost to Dallas Mavericks in welcome recovery of sum lost due to Luka Doncic trade

After being drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the No. 1 pick of the NBA draft, Cooper Flagg’s presence has already been felt across the city.

While American Airlines Center was filled with “Fire Nico!” chants during night one of the draft, Mavericks CEO Rick Welts opened up on the immediate impact of the franchise selecting Flagg while speaking with Bloomberg News.

From the sounds of things, the team has already recouped a large portion of the sponsors and season ticket holders they lost after trading Luka Doncic:

“Almost 2,000 fans bought $125 Flagg jerseys from pop-up jersey printers in the arena and online. [The team has] now more than made up for the lost sponsors” and renewed “between 75% and 80% of season tickets, in large part thanks to Flagg.”

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Welts added that the Mavs "sold about" $8 million worth of season tickets just three days following the draft.

Although the scenes from American Airlines Center's virtual draft party went viral as fans once again called for Mavs general manager Nico Harrison to be traded, Flagg's arrival in Dallas marks the beginning of a new era for a team that went from making the NBA Finals to missing the playoffs.

While the team will be without Kyrie Irving through the early portion of the season as the veteran guard recovers from an ACL tear, the team managed to retain Daniel Gafford, setting the stage for a season where many of their key players will return.

"He's made for Dallas," - Mavs CEO praises Cooper Flagg following the draft

Heading into night one of the NBA draft, it was no secret that the Dallas Mavericks were going to select Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick.

Going back to the previous summer, when Flagg was playing on the Team USA Select squad against the USA's 2024 Paris Olympic Team, there was widespread talk about his NBA readiness.

With high praise from olympians who scrimmaged against Flagg, the 2024-25 NBA season was viewed as the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes.

Once Dallas secured the top pick, Mavericks CEO Rick Welts immediately knew that Flagg would be a great fit in Dallas.

While speaking with NBA 5 on Thursday, the morning after the team selected Flagg, Welts spoke about the Duke star and what he means for the next generation of Mavericks fans:

"I think he's made for Dallas. I was struck with how many kids were there last night. We also drafted a player who won’t turn 19 until next December, so I think there’s a real opportunity for a whole new generation of Mavs fans to have their hero."

With summer league right around the corner, fans will get to see Cooper Flagg in action sooner rather than later.

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About the author

Evan Bell

Evan Bell is a journalist specializing in the NBA and NHL at Sportskeeda, whose love for the game stems from a childhood spent watching the Chicago Bulls. He has been there through their highs and lows, from the Jordan era to the exciting Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah years.

Evan finds the 82-game season and the intensity of playoff basketball exhilarating, and he also revels in the offseason drama. Phil Jackson stands out as his favorite coach, whom he admires for his composed leadership and success in managing dynamic personalities like Dennis Rodman.

To deliver top-quality content, Evan fact-checks information while diligently keeping up with the action year-round.

When he's not writing, Evan follows tennis and Greek football, and also plays basketball and tennis.

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