2025 draft thread: THE MAVS SELECT COOPER FLAGG

[SleepingHero]

https://x.com/Mavs_FFL/status/1922099876403331409

Mavs FO absolutely freaked out when they saw what happened.

Look at Nico.

It pains me to see him happy. However, as a Mav fan first, I am with him here. I don't think they'll be trading the pick

[SleepingHero]

[SleepingHero]

AD is best at the 5 but wants to play next to a center.

Flagg is best at the 4 but can play the 3.

Interesting roster decisions ahead.

Kyrie
Klay
Flagg
AD
Lively 

is a CRAZY lineup.

[SleepingHero]

From a random anonymous twitter account. Take this with a grain of salt. 

[DanSchwartzgan]

AD is best at the 5 but wants to play next to a center.

Flagg is best at the 4 but can play the 3.

Interesting roster decisions ahead.

It feels like a PJ trade is probably coming.  Sadly, we will probably be looking for someone just like PJ next to Flagg three seasons from now when AD is done.  PJ would still be under 30 at that point.

Or, you trade Gafford and force AD to get some of his minutes at C and some at PF.  Then you have Lively and three guys in AD, Flagg and PJ who can play up or down a position.  

I'm not sure which one I'm rooting for.  It does feel like we need to send out one for someone in the Sexton/White neighborhood.  I'm anxiously awaiting FG's apron numbers with the top pick included.  I've gotten kind of lazy and don't want to relearn all of these new apron rules.  I think we are destined to be a second apron team, so some added complexity to what we can/can't do on the trade front.

[Mavs03]

The Mavs have potentially the best frontcourt in the NBA with Flagg, AD and Lively

Let's assume a healthy roster.

SF Flagg
PF AD
C Lively
PG Irving
SG Thompson

Bench:

SF Marshall
PF PJ
C Gafford
PG Williams
SG Christie

Hardy, Martin, Edwards, Jones, Powell and O-Max rounding out the bench

3 of the top 10 guys are in their 30s. The rest are in their early to mid 20s. Flagg being in his teens. I can't believe he's only 18! That's a fairly young roster. I personally would like to improve our backcourt especially with someone who could handle the rock. Hopefully Kyrie is back in January. B-Will can fill in, but I think our move now in the offseason is for us to make a trade for a guard.

The question is for who?

How about Payton Pritchard? Boston is on the verge of NBA salary armageddon. 261 million committed salary for 2025-2026. Wow

[Jmaciscool]

Been away from Mavs stuff for a while but can't stay away after this!

What a crazy fandom roller coaster of a year

[numnuts23]

How freaking amazing was that??? Heart was pounding for awhile. Now that I'm breathing normal again...was thinking about the salary added.

What does this do salary and tax wise? #1 picks have a pretty decent salary in their first contract.

[SleepingHero]

It feels like a PJ trade is probably coming.  Sadly, we will probably be looking for someone just like PJ next to Flagg three seasons from now when AD is done.  PJ would still be under 30 at that point.

Or, you trade Gafford and force AD to get some of his minutes at C and some at PF.  Then you have Lively and three guys in AD, Flagg and PJ who can play up or down a position.  

I'm not sure which one I'm rooting for.  It does feel like we need to send out one for someone in the Sexton/White neighborhood.  I'm anxiously awaiting FG's apron numbers with the top pick included.  I've gotten kind of lazy and don't want to relearn all of these new apron rules.  I think we are destined to be a second apron team, so some added complexity to what we can/can't do on the trade front.

Mavs without Kyrie's caphold are currently sitting at roughly ~160 mil in total roster salary factoring in B-Will's extension. Cooper Flagg's 1st overall pick contract will be 4 years 63 mil, with a starting salary of 13.8 mil.

That puts the Mavs right at 173mil in total roster salary BEFORE Kyrie, Exum, and Dinwiddie. The 1st apron line for next season is $195,946,000 and the 2nd apron is 207,825,000. Could go up a few bucks before the league finalizes everything by July 1st. 

That leaves the Mavs with 23 mil of room below the 1st apron and 34.9 mil of room below the 2nd apron before Kyrie Irving. They also will have 13 players under roster. If Kyrie extends, make that 14. If we want to keep Exum then the team is set at 15.
Marc Stein has already floated that Irving will be getting another deal similar to what he is currently on, which would start him right around 38 mil. That puts the Mavs ~4 mil over the 2nd apron. Kyrie could also do an opt-in and extend type of deal where he opts into the final 42 mil of this year deal and extends on a 2 year 85 mil dollar deal. That is overall a ~3 years 120 mil like he signed last time. That option puts the Mavs closer to 11 mil over the 2nd apron.


Given the 2nd apron is so unstomachable, I imagine we are going to see some consolidation trades where the team finds a guard using PJ and or Gafford. And we trim the fat contract wise with Hardy, OMax, and Martin where we attempt to trade them for draft capital. Another option is to just trade Gafford and/or PJ for draft capital and rely on the younger guys to fill their roles.


We have such a glut of forwards now with very little playing time since Flagg will be getting the majority of them.

[Jym]

even crazier when you remember we won that coin toss with Chicago
they get the 12th pick

[FireNicoHarrison]

even crazier when you remember we won that coin toss with Chicago
they get the 12th pick

Do you really think anything would have changed? naive...

[windjc]

This summer we can sign Luka Doncic back since he is a free agent. 

Luka
Kyrie
Flagg
Davis
Lively

I like that lineup a lot. 

All we got to do now is sign Luka. Kiss and make up. He got to take a vacation to the west coast. Now he can come back home relaxed and refreshed.

[F Gump]

I'm anxiously awaiting FG's apron numbers with the top pick included.  I've gotten kind of lazy and don't want to relearn all of these new apron rules.  I think we are destined to be a second apron team, so some added complexity to what we can/can't do on the trade front.

I've already been looking at them myself. They aren't as bad as I thought, but both payroll and roster space needs some work.

Right now, with 14 players next year, they land at [rounded numbers, apron math] 209M and Apron 2 is at 208M. (My numbers assume Kyrie is on the roster next year, at the same salary as his PO.) They will definitely want to get under Apron 2. They also need help at PG.

Current Depth Chart is
Gafford, Lively, Powell
AD, Flagg, OMax
PW, Marshall, Martin
Klay, Christie, Hardy
Kyrie, Williams

I am still set on my own "summer plan" primarily featuring a trade for Ball (and wonder hopefully if one was already negotiated at the deadline, when Martin was oddly acquired by DAL despite his ill-fitting contract with incentives that all count - as a player CHI would value in a swap for Ball? - and when Ball did his extension downward to a number that works for Mavs needs). A package of Martin-Powell-Hardy for Ball would be ideal imo, as it allows money and space for the roster below (which also includes following up by signing 2 players to return, Jones and Exum, but not SD).

Gafford, Lively, JONES (SIGNED @ min )
AD, Flagg, OMax
PJW, Marshall
Klay, Christie, BALL (TRADE)
Kyrie, Williams, EXUM (SIGNED @ 5M)

That payroll lands at 205.5M with 14 players, leaving room for a 15th player (such as an emergency PG if needed, or a development player). The fact that Ball and Exum both have injury histories would be a concern, with the hope being at least one would be healthy (along with BW) until Kyrie returned, and the added benefit that both can defend and both are big enough to play minutes at the 2.

I also think that roster (as it would be on opening day) would be one for a good two-way player or raw FA to want to be on. They'd only start with 13 players in total (with an empty space, and Kyrie out) and with lots of injury-prone guys who might not be able to go for stretches of the season, potentially opening up minutes.

[BoredAssistant]

BREAKING: Dallas Mavericks WIN THE LOTTERY! | DLLS Mavs Podcast
DLLSMavsPodcast. At 39:51, a dude named Saul Bookman joins the show and offers high praise for Cooper Flagg.

[audiosway]

Like i said for months , Luka trade was collusion.

Congrats guys. I will be the first to admit when I'm wrong. You and Gump nailed it. I always suspected it was rigged but this pretty much seals the deal.

Granted, I'm not coming back to the Mavs. But, just had to come say congrats! You guys deserve it.

[donzingis38]

The Mavs have potentially the best frontcourt in the NBA with Flagg, AD and Lively

Let's assume a healthy roster.

SF Flagg
PF AD
C Lively
PG Irving
SG Thompson

Bench:

SF Marshall
PF PJ
C Gafford
PG Williams
SG Christie

Definitely a killer roster for next season. That bench will do some damage. Although I think playmaking will be the team's biggest issue. Until then, Luka will still be missed. We need a pass-first PG who can set up others easy buckets.

[SleepingHero]

[SleepingHero]

Putting this here for posterity sake.

[khaled1987]

This organization does not deserve this fortune but the fans sure has hell do.  

This

[khaled1987]

Oh, I totally agree. I hope Harrison/Dumont understand that part of it, but I definitely see it. 

But also, now I want to maximize the SHORTER window WITH Kyrie/Davis, and I'm wondering what the best approach will be with this new player to do that. I mean...what if it DOESN'T require moving PJW, for example? What if this kid can literally step into Luka's shoes? That would make the team very scary, very quickly. I don't think he's AS GOOD in the pick and roll as Luka (obviously), but...

He isn't the passer Luka is, doesn't have the ability to carry the same usage as Luka either. From the very little I watched Flagg is the type that plays with the system on the offensive end, rather than enforcing himself on it. Both in a good and bad way. 

Tatum is the best comparison (and there is rarely a good comparison) and both actually landed into teams with good players.

Luka carried the offense heavily, and it was James Harden ugly at times, and Lebron James greatness at times , many times both. Flagg isn't like that, and in short term we will need another creator at the 2 and the bench to make it work.

With a better offensive coach, it is doable that we might be even better.

The good thing is, if it doesn't work you have a future now. We will see who trades for Giannis from Spurs, OKC & Rockets, and if we decide it isn't working with current team, you let the rest gave an auction for AD and get young assets and rebuild.

That wasn't on the table hours ago.