A 31-point breakout in Summer League, sandwiched between the franchise’s one of the most scrutinized offseason in years, has seemingly turned 18-year-old Cooper Flagg into the most discussed name in Dallas basketball. When the Dallas Mavericks stunned the NBA by landing the No.1 pick after parting ways with Luka Doncic, few foresaw that their top rookie would immediately spark headlines. But following a turbulent draft and a pair of high and low Summer League showings, Flagg found himself at the center of a subtle but telling front office decision, one that’s quietly fueling conversations behind the scenes.

Behind every headline, there’s always an undercurrent—like Flagg’s own journey from a rocky 5-for-21 Summer League debut to a dominant 31-point, 10-rebound follow-up, putting him among the rare rookies in the last decade to eclipse the 30-point mark in Las Vegas action.

Yet, not every request from the emerging star has been green-lighted by Dallas brass. Instead, the Mavericks drew a firm line after Flagg’s early surge, leaving the rookie just one more opportunity to leave his mark. Whispers about that moment have become a litmus test for how seriously the Mavericks are protecting their most valuable asset—and how driven Flagg is to shake off talk of Summer League flukes.

It’s seemingly this mentality that caught Shaquille O’Neal’s eye. In a recent episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, the conversation turned to the league’s next perennial superstar. “I’m gonna go, I’m gonna go unconventional. I’m gonna say, I’m gonna say Banchero… Mean tough, He got that… Carmelo Anthony type of physicality,” Marcus Morris volunteered.

But Shaq saw something more foundational brewing: “I’m gonna say Cooper flag. And I’m gonna tell you why ’cause they’re laying it out for… Like I’ve never seen a scenario so perfect… A team with a mega star, they get rid of them, is down. All of a sudden they get the first picture. Now you’re bringing it up. Potential megastar.”

Comparisons with Paolo Banchero aren’t accidental—or unfounded. Banchero’s third NBA season saw him jump to 26.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game on 48.2% shooting, statistics that vaulted him into the perennial All-Star conversation. Yet it took Banchero three seasons and over 200 NBA games to reach those figures. Flagg, meanwhile, posted averages of 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.4 steals per game as a freshman at Duke, while leading his high school to a 34–0 record before even stepping foot in Dallas.

Where Banchero has built his reputation over time, Flagg is already being tasked with carrying the weight of a franchise and the expectation of megastardom amid suspenseful front office decisions—a reality even Shaq admitted is “like nothing I’ve seen.” Dallas’s calculated handling of Flagg’s debut hints at a bigger plan, and with comparisons like these growing louder, the spotlight is only set to intensify—especially as speculation mounts about the one request Flagg was tantalizingly denied.

How did Dallas front office react to Cooper Flagg’s request?

After just two games in the NBA Summer League, the Mavericks made the decision to pull the plug on Flagg’s participation. But what happened next gave fans and insiders alike a deeper look into the mindset of their No. 1 overall pick. Flagg’s first game didn’t go as planned. Facing the Lakers, he managed only 10 points and missed all five of his attempts from beyond the arc. For some rookies, that would’ve been a discouraging start. But Flagg didn’t flinch. In his very next game, this time against the Spurs, he erupted for 31 points, making a loud statement about his potential and resilience.

That’s when things got interesting. Even though Dallas had always planned for Flagg to play just two games, the young forward reportedly approached the coaching staff and front office, asking for a third shot. His reasoning? He didn’t want his breakout performance to be seen as a fluke.

“Since we selected him, he’s been everything we thought he’d be and even more,” a Mavericks front office executive told Keith Smith of Spotrac. “Tremendous kid on and off the court. Here’s a good story for you: He shot like crap in his first game. Second game he dominated. We had a plan to play only two games. Cooper comes to the us and the coaches and asks to play a third game. We laughed and told him, ‘No. You’re good.’ And he goes, ‘I just don’t want people to think the good game was a fluke.’ All we could do was laugh, but it shows how much he wants to be great.”

The Mavericks ultimately stuck to their original plan. They didn’t let him suit up for another game—opting to keep their top prospect healthy and ready for the long grind of the regular season. Still, that moment said a lot. Cooper Flagg wasn’t chasing numbers or headlines. He just wanted to prove, to himself and others, that he belongs—and that the best is yet to come. And this is probably what prompted Shaquille O’Neal to declare him as potentially the next big thing.