Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd all but confirms Cooper Flagg trade decision with sneaky comment

Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd has all but confirmed the Mavericks’ intention to pick Cooper Flagg in the 2025 NBA draft. Kidd appeared on “105.3 The Fan,” where the host asked him whether it would pay off to bet on Dallas drafting the Duke prodigy.

Kidd promptly answered, saying yes before mentioning that the “kid from Duke” is very excited. For obvious reasons, Kidd can’t outright say that the Mavericks plan on drafting Cooper Flagg. However, he made a sneaky comment towards the end of the segment that confirms the team’s intention:

“I can’t wait until we change that ‘Kid (from) Duke’ to his (actual) name.”

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The Mavericks won this year’s draft lottery, winning the No. 1 pick despite having a 1.8% chance of doing so. A few months after trading their franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic, Dallas now has the opportunity to bring another generational talent to Texas.

Many speculated that the Mavericks could be looking to trade the No. 1 pick the same way they traded Doncic for a "win now" situation. Judging from Kidd's comments, that is unlikely to be the case.

Flagg was stellar in college, making 37 appearances for the Duke Blue Devils. He averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals per game.

His solid play on both ends of the floor makes Flagg a highly sought-after prospect in the 2025 NBA draft. However, it seems like he will be headed to the Dallas Mavericks with the No. 1 pick.

Cooper Flagg and Victor Wembanyama could reignite the rivalry between the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs

The Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs were fierce rivals who delivered many unforgettable moments throughout the years. Back when the Mavericks were led by Dirk Nowitzki and the Spurs by Tim Duncan, we often saw them go at each other to prove themselves as the best team in Texas.

Unfortunately, the Spurs have had some tough luck over the years, failing to reach the heights they saw in the 2010s. However, with the arrival of Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio now has a bright future ahead.

On the other hand, the Mavericks are also about to add a promising prospect by drafting Cooper Flagg. Wembanyama will enter his third season this year, while Flagg kicks off his rookie campaign in 2025-26. Depending on how they develop, we could be on the cusp of witnessing another fierce episode in the Mavericks-Spurs rivalry.

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Sameer Khan

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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