2025 draft thread: THE MAVS SELECT COOPER FLAGG

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

No sports fan is ever going to take the draft lottery seriously again. Hope it was worth it, Silver!

jesus christ dude will you shut the (edited to be less mean) already

we won the lottery. it's a time to celebrate

[The Jom]

Conspiratorially this makes me think of "the trade" as 1000% pushed by the league. There is no other explanation.

The full trade was Luka for AD+Christie+Flagg+2029.

Plus Vegas

[SleepingHero]

No sports fan is ever going to take the draft lottery seriously again. Hope it was worth it, Silver!

The thing is, the "trade" was so outlandish that 29 other fanbases were so outraged it dwarfed every discussion for months. Hell, even Laker fans of all people felt bad about the Mavs. They didn't even gloat.

The league has made up for it in my mind and I think other fanbases will understand.

[Scott41theMavs]

Don´t get your hopes up. If you don´t think half the league is trying to call Nico right now, you are delusional. Every GM is in his ear. Windy already setting the stage for Giannis trade. Remember Kidd and Giannis are buddies. He´ll push Nico to make the trade and I have no doubt Nico is dumb enough to trade Flagg for Giannis. He´ll probably throw in Lively, too. You all better hope Dumont has learned something from the last fiasco. Maybe Cuban, the connoisseur of draft picks and young players can be Dumont´s voice of reason. LOL.  You guys are f*****.

Once again, you're working on the presumption that the original trade wasn't 100% league-driven, which is gullible. The good news about this is that we know now that the original horrid optics of Nico's "negotiating skills" were a mirage.

[david75090]

Now that the NBA gifted them the #1, Nico should just come out, throw the NBA under the bus  and say the trade was Luka for AD + an NBA Flagg promise.

The trade was Luka to LA for whatever matched under the cap, without taking everything LA had, as it should've been. The trade made no sense to anyone. Now, we know the trade was a lot more complicated. It was league mandated. May have been included in the allowing of Las Vegas gambling interests being allowed to buy into the league. Gambling used to be frowned upon, now gambling is being embraced. Notice all the gambling advertisements? Follow the money. 

Of course, I'm talking out of my rear, because how would I know for sure.

[Knutsen]

From your lips (keyboard) to gods ears!

You‘re welcome, dear From Dirk to Cooper!

[Scott41theMavs]

The thing is, the "trade" was so outlandish that 29 other fanbases were so outraged it dwarfed every discussion for months. Hell, even Laker fans of all people felt bad about the Mavs. They didn't even gloat.

The league has made up for it in my mind and I think other fanbases will understand.

I still think it was pre-determined compensation as opposed to consolation.

[SleepingHero]

WE HAVE CAPTURED THE FLAGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[OBX Maverick]

Any Mav fan who doesn't believe that the Luka trade, for what we traded for, and this evening's outcome were all 100% predetermined, I have a bridge in the Sahara to sell you.

I’m not sure about that. But think about this: if we hadn’t traded Luka there is little chance we end up in the lottery. So….would you rather have Luka with the prior core or would you prefer to have Flagg along with the assets we gained from the Luka trade?

And please Nico, build around Flagg for God’s sake!

[BoredAssistant]

lmao l wont ever trust the league after the last few months but I am happy for this board and the folks who stuck around. Damn Scott41theMavs called it. And yeah Adam Silver don't think we don't see what's going on. We deserve another #1 on top of this one.

[SleepingHero]

I still think it was pre-determined compensation as opposed to consolation.

And if you analyze the pre-determined compensation, does that make you feel better about the "trade"?

[Scott41theMavs]

I’m not sure about that. But think about this: if we hadn’t traded Luka there is little chance we end up in the lottery. So….would you rather have Luka with the prior core or would you prefer to have Flagg along with the assets we gained from the Luka trade?

And please Nico, build around Flagg for God’s sake!

I'd still rather have Luka, of course, but the league likely wasn't allowing that.

[Scott41theMavs]

And if you analyze the pre-determined compensation, does that make you feel better about the "trade"?

Of course not. I'd rather have Luka.

[cow]

You‘re welcome, dear From Dirk to Cooper!

Someone should change their name to "Luka Pickstop" to pair with From Dirk to Cooper.

[Chicagojk]

absolutely amazing. I thought there would have been a 100% chance mavs would get the #1 pick if Stern was still the lead of the NBA. I didn't know Silver had it in him. Ha. Seriously, we deserve this...if you are still going to be a Mavs fan.

Sure this team should be good in the short term, but they have the start of a real nice young nucleus in Flagg and Lively. So even when AD and Kyrie get old or injured, there is something to look forward too.

Suddenly the team who owned swaps and future picks are bummed again.

I think you move PJ. Good player. He has one more year left and he won't want to be a bench player. See what you could get for him. Can you get a good big guard?

I didn't watch much Duke this year, but I did watch highlights. Flagg is such a smart player. Just plays the right way. He is really a good play maker with their bigs too. Finally our bigs may get some more opportunities.

Happy for Mavs fans.

[Mavs2021]

Welcome back to all those who had left for Lakers fandom.  No hard feelings.  Time to celebrate all!! 

Gump:  I told you Silver was involved in the Luka deal

I don´t come back over this. Until an hour ago, I didn´t even know it was today. If anything this only shows you the whole league is truly rigged like WWE. Who in their right mind can believe this is a 1.8% coincidence. 

It´s hard to believe that it was premeditated on trade day, but when they saw the fallout, virtually killing the whole Dallas NBA market, and Mavs secured any number of pingpong balls, this was over. Also Adelsons are not Cuban. That family has real influence/power.

Though I have to admit I figured they had enough shame to fix the Mavs need at PG with Harper at #2. I didn´t think they'd be this shameless and go all-in.

Now you all better hope that somebody took Nico´s phone away, cause 100% the whole league is calling him right now with idiotic offers.

[Scott41theMavs]

absolutely amazing.  I thought there would have been a 100% chance mavs would get the #1 pick if Stern was still the lead of the NBA.  I didn't know Silver had it in him.  Ha.  Seriously, we deserve this...if you are still going to be a Mavs fan.

Sure this team should be good in the short term, but they have the start of a real nice young nucleus in Flagg and Lively.  So even when AD and Kyrie get old or injured, there is something to look forward too.

Suddenly the team who owned swaps and future picks are bummed again. 

I think you move PJ.  Good player.  He has one more year left and he won't want to be a bench player.  See what you could get for him.  Can you get a good big guard? 

I didn't watch much Duke this year, but I did watch highlights.  Flagg is such a smart player.  Just plays the right way.    He is really a good play maker with their bigs too.  Finally our bigs may get some more opportunities.

Happy for Mavs fans.

Re: PJ - we need a PG.

[Chicagojk]

Nice asset or SA too. Harper is good. Interesting if they decide to keep that pick. Him and Fox, plus Castle is an interesting group. A lot of guys that need the ball.

[JamesConway912]

I LITERALLY JUST RAN A LAP OUTSIDE OF MY HOUSE

THE MAVERICKS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE MOVED UP IN THE LOTTO

Gotta stay quiet here in the middle of the night and wife + kids asleep

but man what a f***** moment

Basketball might not be dead afterall.

[Jakeospikez]

This outcome shouldn't really be a huge eye opener, look at previous drafts of generational stars. Lebron to Cleveland, Wemby to the Spurs. They're all over the place. Nothing new. Just accept that this was apart of the deal. Be happy for Luka being the face of the league post Lebron I guess. Could've been worse.