NEW YORK (AP) The new Maine man in Dallas is Cooper Flagg.
In an attempt to find their next franchise hero less than five months after trading one away, the Mavericks selected Duke with the first overall pick in the NBA draft on Wednesday night.
When Dallas dealt Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers on February 1, Mavericks supporters were incensed, with some threatening to stop supporting the team right away.
Flagg, the collegiate player of the year who led Duke to the Final Four and averaged 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds, may swiftly win over the fans who stayed. With Dereck Lively II and Kyrie Irving, two more Duke products, on the team, the Mavericks swiftly declared that Flagg would wear number 32 in Dallas.
I’m ecstatic. Flagg remarked, “I think I keep saying I’m excited to be a sponge, to get down there and just learn, to be surrounded by guys who are worthy of being in the Hall of Fame, and just to be able to learn from them.” The experience is going to be amazing.
It was a daylong celebration in his home state for the 18-year-old forward from Newport, Maine, who has been thought to be likely to be selected ever since he shown his impressive game last summer after being invited to the U.S. Olympic team’s training camp.
Having the backing of the entire state is really important to me. “At some of the draft parties back home, I know how many people came out today and supported me,” Flagg added. Knowing that I can motivate younger children makes me feel fantastic. It means a lot to me to know that I can offer those kids those sentiments and that the entire state is behind me since I was in their position not too long ago.
He brought the draft back to its historic beginning with a one-and-done collegiate player, joining Elton Brand, Irving, Zion Williamson, and Paolo Banchero as Duke players selected first overall since 1999.
From 2010 until Banchero’s selection in 2022, the draft started in same manner each year; however, the final two No. 1 picks, Victor Wembanyama and Zaccherie Risacher, are both French.
The Spurs selected Dylan Harper, a freshman from Rutgers, with the second overall pick. Harper will attempt to give San Antonio a third consecutive NBA Rookie of the Year, following Wembanyama and Stephon Castle.
Making it three in a row is undoubtedly one of my goals, Harper stated. Without a doubt, I believe that the players and coaching staff will make it simple for me to show off my skills.
The 76ers next selected VJ Edgecombe of Baylor, which elicited the first prolonged round of raucous applause of the draft from what appeared to be a sizable contingent of Philadelphia fans who traveled to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. The No. 3 pick was the first one where there was any excitement, although the first two picks had long been anticipated.
The Charlotte Hornets selected Kon Knueppel at No. 4, making it two Duke players in the first four selections. Ace Bailey, who could have gone third but chose not to train with the 76ers, ended up going to Utah at number five.
Before the host Nets selected BYU’s Egor Demin at No. 8, Brooklyn’s first of possibly five selections in the first round, it was Tre Johnson of Texas to the Washington Wizards at No. 6 and Oklahoma’s Jeremiah Fears to New Orleans at No. 7.
Collin Murray-Boyles of South Carolina was selected by Toronto at number nine, while Duke big man Khaman Maluach completed the top ten. Maluach was selected by the Houston Rockets but is going to Phoenix as part of the Kevin Durant trade, which isn’t official until next month.
