Flagg is fresh off a consensus National Player of the Year campaign where he averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists over 37 games, leading the Blue Devils to the Final Four. Drafting Flagg would position him alongside veterans Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis on a roster that reached the NBA Finals in 2024.

The Dallas Mavericks won the lottery. Entering the day with a 1.8% chance of landing the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, they overcame the odds and earned the right to pick Duke star Cooper Flagg next month, beating out more favored teams like the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets.

The college basketball legend spoke about Flagg’s skill set a day after the Dallas Mavericks won the NBA draft lottery, setting themselves up to select Flagg with the top pick in June. Krzyzewski recalled seeing Flagg play at Montverde Academy as a high schooler.