Dereck Lively II makes his feelings clear about fellow Duke alum Cooper Flagg’s start with Dallas Mavericks

Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II didn’t hold back his thoughts on fellow Duke alum Cooper Flagg’s early days with the franchise. The rookie, taken first in the 2025 NBA draft, made his debut at the Las Vegas Summer League last month.

In an interview with Dallas reporter Joey Mistretta, Lively shared his thoughts on Flagg’s NBA journey, as shared by ClutchPoints on X (formerly called Twitter):

“I was in the same moment, grateful for it. And we welcomed him into the group with open arms. I called him earlier today, and he always has a smile on his face, always cracking a joke.

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"So, I'm making sure that he's feeling as comfortable as possible, giving any little detail or anything to get him by, because whenever I was in his position, I remember how frightening that could be. I was 19 and he is 18."

Lively, who was selected 12th in the 2023 Draft, shares a similar path with Cooper Flagg, as both came out of Duke University. Flagg joined the Blue Devils a year after Lively’s final season, leading them to an ACC regular season title and a Final Four appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

The duo aren't the only Duke alums on the Dallas roster, with nine-time All-Star Kyrie Irving also in the mix. The trio will look to build strong chemistry as the Mavs set their sight on the NBA title. With stars like Klay Thompson and Anthony Davis also on the squad, Dallas enters the season as a title favorite.

Mark Cuban shares insight on how Cooper Flagg fits alongside Dereck Lively II in the Mavericks' roster

Former Dallas Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban offered his thoughts on Cooper Flagg's addition to the Mavs roster.

Explaining how the rookie would fit into the team, Cuban said that the Mavs should start him as a point guard:

"I mean, like I'm sending texts to J-Kidd and I'm like, point guard, point guard let him bring the ball up. Because then we have six, how tall is Cooper now?

"I know it feels so 6'8, 6'9, right? You're an NBA 6'11. So, got Cooper at point guard, Klay at 2, DJ at 3, AD and D Liv (Lively) and Gaff (Gafford) we have the biggest team in the NBA."

Cuban’s projected starting five would be one of the biggest lineups in the NBA, posing a serious matchup threat to any team in the league.

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About the author

Arian Kashyap

Arian Kashyap is a basketball journalist at Sportskeeda with over two years of experience at Essentially Sports and Spice Bite and a Bachelor's in Physical Education and Sports Sciences.

Arian's favorite team is the Miami Heat and it’s mainly down to Dwyane Wade being his favorite player of all time. Arian loved how explosive Wade was as a player and he had all the attributes, whether that be shooting, defending or passing. Arian really liked how he won titles both with and without a dynasty behind him.

Arian has also worked with Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools and was the manager for a Delhi-based women’s team called Garwhal Untied. Garwhal won the Delhi league and were runners-up during his tenure.

Arian has judged essay writing competitions for the Commonwealth Students Welfare Group of India in 2023 and was a part of the U-14 team for the Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools academy that qualified for the AIFF Round in 2023.

When not working or watching sports, Arian likes riding his motorcycle and reading.

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