(02-10-2026, 05:27 PM)Winter Wrote: Flagg's game is a bit less sexy, but the fan base has NEVER had a true number one pick, and one strangely hyped as the best player a year in advance of him being drafted. Even Luka wasn't fan-worshipped until the end of his 1st year. So Flagg is a big deal for the franchise. Bigger than Luka in some ways because of the badly needed rebound effect after the trade.
However, I would not disagree with you about team value. I'm not sure how they weigh such things, but I think we have to account for the fact we lost a strong European fan base when Luka was traded. We didn't pick that back up with Flagg. That's a pretty straightforward loss.
The timing is unfortunate for Flagg as he got put, undeservingly, in the middle of this mess. He seems like a great kid. And no shade towards Dirk or Luka, but it feel unimaginable to have a two-way star. But the team is hard to watch and the wounds have the last year haven't healed. There is a lot of trust that needs to be rebuilt. And none of those things has anything to do with Cooper.