It’s Draft week! And all the On Hold celebrations can finally take shape – it’s finally time to accept Cooper Flagg in the royal blue and grey of the Dallas Mavericks. With Luka’s exit and a continuous manhunt of the GM, they desperately needed the lottery to go their way. And with a 1.8% chance, no one did expect it to. But call it luck or whatever else you want – Nico Harrison might finally get to be on the good side of the Mavs fanbase. Did anyone think this would happen after the Luka Doncic trade? Well, it doesn’t matter – ’cause Flagg is here, and he’s excited to be a Mav.

You can never really keep anything off social media in today’s world. But a person like Flagg might just have to – regardless of it being a PR initiative or his own. Seeing every fan account make horribly rendered ChatGPT edits of him in a Mavs kit could have an adverse effect of what’s intended. And that’s exactly what the Duke graduate had in mind, too.

He wasn’t on socials for too long, but he can’t wait to step foot on the American Airlines Center hardwood. “I’m not on social media too much, I’m just trying to take it one day at a time. So that is the case tomorrow, if it ends up happening. I’ve heard it’s an incredible fanbase, incredible support. So I’ll be excited to know more about it,” said Flagg in the pre-draft press as Mavs fans take an early rally to celebrate.

It’s tough to picture Harrison passing on this offer. Sure, he’s pulled the odd trade and taken heat for PR stunts before. But the idea of Cooper Flagg—a generational two-way talent who could be what Luka Doncic is, only better on defense? Wow! You can practically hear Dallas residents giggling in excitement like teenage Japanese schoolgirls.

What’s funny is—so was he when he heard about the Luka Doncic trade. Just like the rest of us, he got caught so off guard that he and his crew were practically pinching themselves in disbelief.

Cooper Flagg on the Doncic trade: “We just all started going crazy”

Picture this: it was the Duke Blue Devils vs the North Carolina Tar Heels at the Cameron Indoor Stadium. Flagg pulled an incredible 21/8/7 masterclass to get the Blue Devils a much-deserved (and dominant) 87-70 win at home. It was the place to be. But then came the Doncic trade. Out came teammate Darren Harris’ phone, with Shams Charania’s viral post on the trade going down. Just like the rest of us, he was completely blindsided by the news.

“I remember being with all my guys, I think it might’ve been the time we played UNC at home when we won that game, so we were just hanging out together. I remember by teammate Darren Harris was the first person to see the Shams post. We just all started going crazy,” said Flagg in the press.

Little did Cooper Flagg know about the destiny that awaited him. Now, the Mavericks get to complete their own Cinderella run yet again, this time with Duke’s very own at the helm. Of course, none of this is really confirmed yet. We’ll have to wait till the Draft finishes for the obvious to take place. But this just shapes the 2025/26 season to a tee. Grab your popcorn.