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The Mavericks defied the odds to land Duke’s Cooper Flagg with the top pick. Expectations are high for the versatile forward, but is success guaranteed?
The Future Star
The Dallas Mavericks, with less than a two percent chance of winning the lottery, bucked those odds to tab Duke’s Cooper Flagg with the first overall selection in the draft.
It’s the first step in rebuilding a team that went just 39-43 last season, eventually losing to the Memphis Grizzlies in the ‘play-in’ portion of the playoffs. That was an 11-game slide off the 2023-24 season in which the Mavs eventually won the Western Conference,
Flagg won’t turn 19 years of age until late December. That hasn’t meant any less pressure coming the way of the 6-foot-8 ‘plays the entire court’ Flagg.
As of this early-August writing, it’s the Mavericks listed at 28-1 (+2800) to win the next title, according to NBA championship futures odds. Dallas is now 15 years removed from its lone Larry O’Brien Trophy, hoisted by the Dirk Nowitzki-led squad of 2010-11.
So, which version of the Dallas Mavericks are going to be on display? Remember, the team is in the same (Southwest) division as the Kevin Durant-enriched Houston Rockets, thus not making its job any easier
Perhaps it’s best to see the Mavericks’ roster in its entirety before a final verdict. With a nucleus of Flagg, the oft-injured Anthony Davis, and the currently injured Kyrie Irving, Dallas shouldn’t be a bottom-feeding entity. The team made NBA news by importing free-agent D’Angelo Russell while Irving (ACL) recuperates.
Gazing at Rookie of the Year odds, Flagg is a prohibitive 1-2 (-200) favorite, with Washington Wizards’ guard Tre Johnson as the 17-2 (+850) second choice. Johnson was selected sixth in the draft. Flagg and Johnson are the only two ‘plebes’ under double figures on the board.
It’s unfair to expect the addition of Flagg to catapult the Mavs to the NBA Finals, though the team figures to be improved this season.
Here’s a primer on the Flagg as he begins his career in the pros…
Why Is Cooper Flagg So Famous?
Flagg was the top recruit in the freshman class of 2024 and didn’t disappoint. He was a consensus first-team All-American as well as the National Player of the Year. With the Blue Devils, he did fill the stat sheet (19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists per game).
Duke fell to the Houston Cougars in a national semifinal game. Flagg finished with 27 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in that losing effort. There’s no guarantee about that sort of production once NBA scores begin in 2025-26, but…
Who Is Cooper Flagg’s Favorite NBA Player?
Eschewing those NBA rumors, ask the always-reliable internet to find the favorite player of Cooper Flagg, and you get a pair of Boston Celtics, Larry Bird and Jayson Tatum. Those aren’t hard-to-figure choices, given they were/are both exceptional and Flagg is a native of Maine.
Tatum’s ruptured right Achilles tendon means he and Flagg are unlikely to oppose one another once the 2025-26 NBA schedule begins in earnest.
Does BetUS Offer Constant Updates on NBA Championship Betting Lines?
Indeed. There are a plethora of odds and props available throughout the regular and postseason around individual games, individual awards, and anything a bettor might desire. Those NBA championship odds include that popular ‘pick the next champ’ future wager as well.
While the Oklahoma City Thunder are strong +265 favorites to repeat, there are four teams (Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, the aforementioned Houston Rockets, and New York Knicks) all at 8-1 (+800) second choices.
As with other wagers, NBA championship futures are fluid, thus subject to change.
Any Final Thoughts?
Anyone who pays even marginal attention to NBA game odds and NBA betting odds is aware of incoming rookie Cooper Flagg. Expected to immediately be a major component of the Dallas Mavericks, Flagg and his mates figure to get plenty of attention as the season progresses.
- Tyrone Black, Gambling911.com
