The Dallas Mavericks can only watch as the Pacers and the Thunder battle it out for the NBA championship. Jason Kidd and his team were among the favorites to win the championship this season. Of course, that was until they traded away their franchise player, Luka Doncic, in exchange for Anthony Davis. One could say that was a move that did not yield the desired results. While the Mavs look lackluster, untimely injuries to Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis did not help either. However, with their chances to compete for the title looking slim, Dallas struck gold. 

Of course, we are talking about the Mavericks winning the 2025 NBA Draft lottery, that too, with just a 1.8 % chance! This has poured life back into Texas as they hope to land the consensus No. 1 pick, Cooper Flagg. Whether Nico Harrison and Co. deserved this reward or not is out the window. The only thing that matters now is how he’ll transform the Mavs. While some think that the former Duke star will change everything, host of the Locked on Mavericks podcast, Nick Angstadt, thinks a bit differently. 

The Dallas analyst gave his view on how the tables turned after Dallas won the draft lottery. “Let’s talk about the number one at the top of the draft and Cooper Flagg. When the Mavs got Cooper Flagg, it changed their window. It changed the identity of the franchise, it changed a lot of different things, it changed the trajectory of you know Anthony Davis’s career, probably with the Mavericks, to change the trajectory of Nico Harrison’s career with the Mavericks, probably it changed a lot of things.” Angstadt said.

He pointed out how Cooper Flagg’s arrival could impact the Mavericks’ timeline. Obviously, we all know that as soon as Doncic left Texas, the franchise entered “win-now” mode. Although it did not turn out well for the team, they were most likely heading down the same path this season, until they got the No. 1 pick. Now, the Mavs envision a different future for themselves in which there’s a good chance that Anthony Davis and Nico Harrison will play a huge role, according to Nick Angstadt. Harrison famously said that “defense wins championships,” and now the Mavs have an experienced core surrounded by young talent. 

Does this mean they’ll go all the way? That we’ll have to wait and watch, as Cooper Flagg’s arrival might change everything for Nico Harrison. 

Cooper Flagg’s arrival might change a lot for Nico Harrison

The 2025 NBA Draft is just a couple of weeks away, and if you have been living under a rock, the Dallas Mavericks are expected to land Cooper Flagg as the No. 1 pick. Although the 18-year-old forward has proved that he’s a “ready-now” type prospect, doubts still linger in the Dallas front office. That’s because the Mavericks are not structured to accommodate a budding superstar, according to many. That’s true to some extent, given the timeline of their roster and also the fact that their GM, Nico Harrison, also admitted that the team wants to “win-now”. 

However, Cooper Flagg’s arrival changes the dynamics of their plans. “I think the moment that Luka was traded, as crazy as it sounds, you know, one of the talking points afterwards was like, “Hey, we’re win-now.” You know, win now. It’s like we’re not win now with Luka but we’re win now that we got the three-year window type of thing and we have the AD contract that lines up we could get the Kyrie contract that lines up with Nico and I think for so for all of us before that lottery night it was all right well we know they’re going for it for the next you know three years.” Isaac Harris said on the Locked on Mavericks podcast. 

He pointed out that with the Luka Doncic trade executed, the Mavericks aligned their timeline to “win-now” mode. They placed all their chips in one basket and failed miserably. However, with Cooper Flagg’s arrival, there will be a breath of fresh air. That’s because now the Dallas fans will have something to look forward to.

Moreover, it will also motivate the veteran core to perform better and maybe even extend their stay. Harris stressed the three-year timeline, suggesting that the Mavs will need to give Flagg a few years before they can become a powerhouse in the West again. However, will this work? Only time will tell.