2025 draft thread: THE MAVS SELECT COOPER FLAGG

[Smitty]

I'm not getting the whole "Flagg is a four and a four only" argument.

I agree. I think offensively he can be a Point-Forward. Maybe more Tatum than Luka on that end. He needs to tighten up his handles and become a more polished PnR guy but he's 18 and only going to get better. Defensively he can probably guard 1 thru 5, so he's positionless in a sense.

[LukaMVP]

just tell Flagg to sign with Nike and become nico's guy then there'd be less concern of him being traded while Nico is in office. a competent GM can find a good balance between winning now and the future. we have three vets in davis Kyrie and Klay but also a bunch of young role players on reasonable contracts. the spurs managed to build a team around Duncan that won a ring soon in tim's sophomore year and remained a contender for over a decade. it's true building a dynasty franchise is way harder these days but a good GM can definitely make the most of what the mavs have. the current mavs are far more talented than the team that drafted luka back then, mavs have no reason not to contend within a few years while davis and Kyrie are still in their primes imho.

[david75090]

I'm not getting the whole "Flagg is a four and a four only" argument.

I didn't make that argument. My suggestion is that AD and CF are BOTH PFs. Personally I think AD is a C/PF and CF is a PF/SF. They overlap at PF. There are other, less valuable assets, that he overlaps with. This is CF team now. Don't see the Mavs winning a championship with these two. AD has the most trade value on the team, in my opinion. Will bring back the most in trade to maximize the Flagg timeline. Flagg is versatile positionally. Would prefer the Mavs make the best use of their assets. Nothing against AD. Think he looks good in Street Clothes.

AD got traded from the Lakers after he suggested that the Lakers get a center, because he's a PF. He's not wanting to play center.

[LukaMVP]

davis despite injury issues is still one of the most influential bigs in the league and you probably won't get someone that caliber without paying more assets. would you swap davis for someone like Siakam? davis prefers PF but he may also take some minutes at 5 in a small ball lineup (or a so-called five out lineup), while Flagg can split his minutes between 3/4.

[david75090]

With AD I'm thinking more about asset management. He's at his highest value right now. Seems injury prone and that will get worse, in my opinion. Good to great when he's on court. Find out what they can get for him and consider it. Build around Cooper Flagg starting now.

[khaled1987]

tbh, I am not against trading Davis for Spurs 2nd pick and whatever salary they are going to send our way. Make us all about the future while maintaining a very good team atm.

It will never happen though.

[cow]

tbh, I am not against trading Davis for Spurs 2nd pick and whatever salary they are going to send our way. Make us all about the future while maintaining a very good team atm.

It will never happen though.

Spurs wouldn't do it.  Nico wouldn't do it.  You could get the #3 pick and probably more since you'd have to take PG13's contract, but again I don't think Nico would trade AD under almost any circumstance.

[MaxiThreeba]

Spurs wouldn't do it.  Nico wouldn't do it.  You could get the #3 pick and probably more since you'd have to take PG13's contract, but again I don't think Nico would trade AD under almost any circumstance.

So......Fire Nico?

[FireNicoHarrison]

So......Fire Nico?

I like your point of view

[MaxiThreeba]

Spurs wouldn't do it.  Nico wouldn't do it.  You could get the #3 pick and probably more since you'd have to take PG13's contract, but again I don't think Nico would trade AD under almost any circumstance.

Nico can't trade AD.  I agree with you there.  Now let me go full NBA2K on this thing!!

Wonder if the Bucks would rather hit the reset on a Giannis trade (highly likely) or find the one guy that can somewhat step into that role (AD).

Spurs get Giannis, and Mavs make them take Klay too
Bucks get AD and 2026 pick from Spurs
Mavs get the Vassell, Johnson, Barnes salary from Spurs plus #2 pick and the ATL 2027

Fill it out however (Hardy to Bucks for example) but Mavs hit the hard reset with Flagg, Harper, Lively as their core and now have their own 2026 and the ATL 2027.

[SleepingHero]

tbh, I am not against trading Davis for Spurs 2nd pick and whatever salary they are going to send our way. Make us all about the future while maintaining a very good team atm.

It will never happen though.

Fox+#2 is the best package we could possibly get for Davis imo.

Realistically it'd be Fox+#14+2027 ATL FRP. 

Either way, Nico would never ever in a billion years trade AD.

[SleepingHero]

Jason Kidd on Cooper Flagg:



Timestamp 5:05.

[khaled1987]

Fox+#2 is the best package we could possibly get for Davis imo.

Realistically it'd be Fox+#14+2027 ATL FRP. 

Either way, Nico would never ever in a billion years trade AD.

I mean, it's all for the fun of the possibilities, I don't believe it is going to happen.

I like Harper way of playing, I don't know if he will be that good or not, but IMHO he has that Kyrie handles in him which is really fun to watch. It is sometimes I really appreciate. 

A bit like how young Luka was fun to watch.

[DallasMaverick]

I just figured it all out.

The Mavs were tanking. 

AD stayed out far longer than he really needed to.

Lively's foot wasn't really broken.  They needed an excuse to keep him out.

Kyrie didn't really tear his ACL.  Have you seen the MRI? Neither have I.

Just sayin.

[Chicagojk]

I don't think this would interest me and I don't think it would be something Nico would consider, but I was reading something earlier on the Athletic about it being a deadzone for Point guards from 9-15. The teams picking in this range all have point guard options on their roster (and backups as well).

Bulls are picking 12. I think the easiest direction for them to go is to pick a Vucevic replacement. But what happens if 2 (or maybe 3) centers are gone?

So, how about a trade built around Patrick Williams and pick 12 for PJ? Maybe Dallas can unload Jaden too. Could they get another smaller asset back to? At 12 Dallas can take a PG if they really like one. Taking on Williams for years is tough, but you get pick #12 for a guy who is expiring and expecting a big payday. There is risk because you are picking an unproven guy, but if you really like someone.....

[DanSchwartzgan]

I don't think this would interest me and I don't think it would be something Nico would consider, but I was reading something earlier on the Athletic about it being a deadzone for Point guards from 9-15.  The teams picking in this range all have point guard options on their roster (and backups as well).

Bulls are picking 12.    I think the easiest direction for them to go is to pick a Vucevic replacement.  But what happens if 2 (or maybe 3) centers are gone? 

So, how about a trade built around Patrick Williams and pick 12 for PJ?  Maybe Dallas can unload Jaden too.  Could they get another smaller asset back to?  At 12 Dallas can take a PG if they really like one.  Taking on Williams for years is tough, but you get pick #12 for a guy who is expiring and expecting a big payday.    There is risk because you are picking an unproven guy, but if you really like someone.....

When you started, I thought this was a Gafford proposal.  Why not Gafford/Hardy for Ball/12 in the scenario where Chicago wants a center.

[Scott41theMavs]

When you started, I thought this was a Gafford proposal.  Why not Gafford/Hardy for Ball/12 in the scenario where Chicago wants a center.

Dang, to get that much out of a deal would mean 1) the Bulls reeeeeeeeeeeally wanted a center, and 2) we had a new GM who could negotiate 10x better than Nico could.

[Chicagojk]

When you started, I thought this was a Gafford proposal.  Why not Gafford/Hardy for Ball/12 in the scenario where Chicago wants a center.

Yeah, maybe.  I haven't really thought that much about it.   I guess the negatives for the Bulls would be: 1) they had Gafford before and pretty much gave him away.  2) Gafford is on an expiring and wanting a raise.  Would it be easier just to hope a center falls to 12?  3) Hardy is a negative asset getting 6 million for the next two.

So I am not sure if that would move Chicago.  I could be wrong though.

I am sure they would love to get off Patrick Williams contract though.

[Knutsen]

I'm not getting the whole "Flagg is a four and a four only" argument.

Me neither - if Flagg isn’t a prototypical small forward with his measurements and skillset then who is?

[SleepingHero]

When you started, I thought this was a Gafford proposal.  Why not Gafford/Hardy for Ball/12 in the scenario where Chicago wants a center.

Makes it quite simple.

Gafford's going cost has already been established to be a 1st round pick. The 2024 pick was the 24th.

I think Gafford has upped his value since his time on the Wizards and is entering his prime. A late lotto pick for a team bereft at center isn't an insane return, especially considering Lonzo has only played 35 games in the past 3 seasons. 

Adding Hardy into this as a sweetener already makes an already even deal a bit sweeter for Chicago and clears Dallas' cap sheet to the green. Chicago has already put out ALL the signals that they are desperate for a center and are looking for one this draft. The 12th pick is a weird spot as all the top tier centers may be gone and they have to reach from the next tier to get their Vucevic replacement. Gafford solves that. Hardy gives them a dynamic scorer next to Giddey.

Truthfully a simple clear cut deal that makes sense for both sides. Not sure why so many think Gafford isn't worth that.

I will say, maybe turning it into a 3 team trade where BRK sells off one of their 4 FRP's to Chicago makes this an even better deal. They currently have 8, 19, 26, 27, and 36. Can't imagine they keep all of those.