Cooper

Flagg

With just a 1.8 percent chance of success, Dallas leaped up in the lottery to nab the top pick in the 2025 draft. A little over three months after GM Nico Harrison traded away Luka Doncic, the Mavs will have a new young superstar to build around. Cooper Flagg is the expected top pick, and he will flawlessly fit Harrison’s mantra “defensive wins championships” that he has echoed tirelessly in every interview since trading Doncic. Assuming nothing changes, Flagg will join a loaded Dallas team that should be a contender in the stacked Western Conference next season. San Antonio, Philadelphia and Charlotte round out the top four picks in a talented draft class.

Flagg’s decision to move up into the Class of 2024 is a big deal in the basketball world, and it should be for dynasty managers as well. The 6-foot-10 forward from Maine is considered by some to be the best prospect regardless of class among American high school talents due to the combination of size and offensive versatility. Among the many schools in the running for Flagg’s services are Duke, UConn, and Kansas, and at the rate he’s currently developing, college basketball may be nothing more than a pit stop before the NBA. Keep an eye on him, as Friday’s decision makes him eligible for the 2025 NBA Draft.