2025 draft thread: THE MAVS SELECT COOPER FLAGG

[Chicagojk]

I just can't root for a tank now. We may get there eventually, but I have trouble rooting for losses when in all liklihood we are trading the pick anyway. Also, good chance suck down the stretch and OKC still get a better pick than us. Ugh.

[StrandedOnBeauboisHill]

Tanking at this point wouldn't really do us any good. We will probably drop out of the play in without trying if AD is out all season but even if we didn't explicitly try to lose there isn't enough time for us to gain any real traction in terms of lottery odds. Probably just help us improve our draft position like 4 or 5 spots (before we trade the pick in the KD deal this summer...).

[Jym]

I just can't root for a tank now.  We may get there eventually, but I have trouble rooting for losses when in all liklihood we are trading the pick anyway.  Also, good chance suck down the stretch and OKC still get a better pick than us.  Ugh.

Yeah we basically have a 2 or 3 year window before it's completely and utterly hopeless around here
We better hope they go on a magical run this year and win a round or 2.

[Smitty]

I just can't root for a tank now.  We may get there eventually, but I have trouble rooting for losses when in all liklihood we are trading the pick anyway.  Also, good chance suck down the stretch and OKC still get a better pick than us.  Ugh.

If we find out today that Davis will need surgery, then there's no need to bring Lively back in April or play Kyrie 40+ minutes like they have been. I don't know that we'll have to root for a tank. It'll happen organically.

[Chicagojk]

Yeah we basically have a 2 or 3 year window before it's completely and utterly hopeless around here
We better hope they go on a magical run this year and win a round or 2.

Yeah, there has been talk about Kyrie's contract.  One way to push him away after he put his body on the line all year is tell him "thanks, but we don't want to win any longer"  I think that is the quickest way to get him out of town.   Maybe with some games left, this decision is easy.   It isn't know though.

[LukaMVP]

Tanking at this point wouldn't really do us any good.  We will probably drop out of the play in without trying if AD is out all season but even if we didn't explicitly try to lose there isn't enough time for us to gain any real traction in terms of lottery odds.  Probably just help us improve our draft position like 4 or 5 spots (before we trade the pick in the KD deal this summer...).

improving the draft position by 5 spots in the lottery zone means a lot imho, at least it would increase the value of the pick which means we would pay less assets in other froms in a hypothetical KD trade.

[SkenfromLMF]

The problem in said KD trade is that you need to salary match, and no matter how you parlay the pieces together it means considerable assets in regards to players since draft picks have no salary value

[GATA]

Need to start tanking ASAP. Guy I really love is Liam McNeely

[F Gump]

improving the draft position by 5 spots in the lottery zone means ...

Fantasy land, unfortunately. At this point, it's not realistic to think a tank will let them improve lottery spots from the very worst spot (14) by more than 2-3 lottery spots. It's way harder than it looks, because the bad teams will lose anyhow, and other teams near the bottom are tanking too (although you don't realize it). I would wager SA already is (that's what they do).

Suns are not tanking - they just suck badly - but GS, MIA, and Sac very well might. As mediocre as each have been, they all have incentive to sink just a couple spots (to claim pick protection) and get a good pick for their trouble while they can.

[DL2RimRocker]

Demin is slipping due to poor shooting and FT shooting so I'm wondering what you all think of taking a chance on him if he is there when we pick.
Dude is tall (6'9"), long, great ball handler, phenomenal passer and very good play maker. Pretty athletic too and seems to have a tremendous work ethic. Decent defender.

Horrible 3pt shooter (20%) and only a little over 60% from the line but form doesn't look bad and can probably be developed. Also has a frame that should develop well as he matures.

If he happens to fall to us, I think we should take a chance on him.
Lively, Demin and Christie could become something to build around after Nico's experiment with broken down aging stars explodes in his face.

[Chicagojk]

Derik Queen has had a ride lately. Walker in the year he was a late first round pick. Now the mocks have him in the lottery. I have not watched a full game. Supposedly his defense is not great. He is also a terrible three point shooter despite looking like he has a good touch. He screams Naz Reid to me. It will be interesting to see where her goes. Mavs
Don’t need another center though

https://youtu.be/oMKe1SWq188?si=yeUGZMWh25ixgcbt

[DL2RimRocker]

Yeah, there has been talk about Kyrie's contract.  One way to push him away after he put his body on the line all year is tell him "thanks, but we don't want to win any longer"  I think that is the quickest way to get him out of town.   Maybe with some games left, this decision is easy.   It isn't know though.

Didn't Nico do that when he traded Luka for a broken-down star on the back end of his career?
I doubt Kyrie will want to stay around here knowing the train wreck of an organization this has become.

It's becoming embarrassing to admit to being a Mavs fan in public anymore.

[DL2RimRocker]

Derik Queen has had a ride lately.  Walker in the year he was a late first round pick.  Now the mocks have him in the lottery.  I have not watched a full game.  Supposedly his defense is not great.  He is also a terrible three point shooter despite looking like he has a good touch.  He screams Naz Reid to me.  It will be interesting to see where her goes.  Mavs
Don’t need another center though

https://youtu.be/oMKe1SWq188?si=yeUGZMWh25ixgcbt

I see the Mavs going all out for a PG now in one way or another using that draft pick.
My bet would be they'll trade it for a veteran.

[Chicagojk]

Didn't Nico do that when he traded Luka for a broken-down star on the back end of his career?
I doubt Kyrie will want to stay around here knowing the train wreck of an organization this has become.

It's becoming embarrassing to admit to being a Mavs fan in public anymore.

Touché.  I can’t predict what Kyrie wants or what he will do.  I think that he wants to win.  I also think him and AD are close.  We will see.  I really liked seeing him on the bench cheering and up against the Heat.  I didn’t see Klay or AD.  I am sure he probably had the option of taking the night off with the all star game coming up.

[ThisIStheYear]

Cooper’s NIL is currently $4.3 million I hear, and he has an opportunity to build the biggest brand coming into the NBA in a generation if he stays in school at the nation’s most popular basketball program. I’d stay if I were him, but it’s dawning on me that Flagg has 100% leverage, more than any other potential number 1 pick in history, and could force a trade to nearly any team he likes (as long as it has a reasonable level of assets), if he decided to come out now.

[F Gump]

Who the Mavs pick will depend a lot on which pick they get. There is an incredibly wide range of possible outcomes, and it may not be known until the play-in is done (or in another scenario, until the draft lottery is done).

But in general, they are likely to pick in the 12-18 range, where you never know who will be available.

Also the Mavs need to look for Best Player rather than limit themselves to a particular position. It's going to be 2-3 years before such a player is likely to help anyhow. More importantly, if they see a future potential star, just take him. If he's good enough, he will be super helpful regardless of position, and if he sux, it won't matter that he's a particular position (because you can't play him). Players in the teens can be really good or really bad or anywhere in between, so if you truly get the best player, you win.

[swaggerbox]

Collin Murray Boyles, probably the best defender in the draft. Great motor, High IQ and can playmake. No shooting though.

[Chicagojk]

Who the Mavs pick will depend a lot on which pick they get. There is an incredibly wide range of possible outcomes, and it may not be known until the play-in is done (or in another scenario, until the draft lottery is done).

But in general, they are likely to pick in the 12-18 range, where you never know who will be available.

Also the Mavs need to look for Best Player rather than limit themselves to a particular position. It's going to be 2-3 years before such a player is likely to help anyhow. More importantly, if they see a future potential star, just take him. If he's good enough, he will be super helpful regardless of position, and if he sux, it won't matter that he's a particular position (because you can't play him). Players in the teens can be really good or really bad or anywhere in between, so if you truly get the best player, you win.

I don't know much about this draft class yet, but I am not really thrilled as of now with the middle first round talents.    For me, it looks a little weaker than years past.    In addition, most of the guys are really young.    I like a few in the grouping in ESPN's latest mock, but I don't see many guys who can provide much help early.   I will be very surprised if we keep our pick.  

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Latest ESPN Mock

• 8- Egor Demin (PG/SG)- Portland Trail Blazers
  
• 9- Jeremiah Fears (PG/SG)- San Antonio Spurs
  
• 10- Derik Queen (PF/C)- OKC Thunder (via Philadelphia 76ers)
  
• 11- Tre Johnson (SG)- Houston Rockets via Phoenix Suns
  
• 12- Joan Beringer (PF/C)- San Antonio Spurs via Atlanta Hawks
  
• 13- Liam McNeeley (SF)- Atlanta Hawks via Sacramento Kings
  
• 14- Nolan Traore (PG)- Dallas Mavericks
  
• 15- Hugo Gonzalez (SG/SF)- OKC Thunder via Miami Heat
  
• 16- Danny Wolf ©- Minnesota Timberwolves via Detroit Pistons
  
• 17- Ben Saraf (PG/SG)- Orlando Magic
  
• 18- Collin Murray-Boyles (PF)- Miami Heat via Golden State Warriors
  
• 19- Noa Essengue (SF/PF)- Utah Jazz via Minnesota Timberwolves
  
• 20- Will Riley (SG/SF)- Brooklyn Nets via Milwaukee Bucks
  
• 21- Asa Newell (PF/C)- OKC Thunder via Los Angeles Clippers
  
• 22- Drake Powell (SG/SF)- Indiana Pacers
  
• 23- Carter Bryant (SF/PF)- Brooklyn Nets via Houston Rockets
  
• 24- Thomas Sorber ©- Brooklyn Nets via New York Knicks
  
• 25- Adou Thiero (SF/PF)- Orlando Magic via Denver Nuggets
  

[Chicagojk]

really tough evaluation. Not huge stats. He looks small (listed at 6'3), but not really a point guard yet. Also, is heavy left handed. Although one of the draft guys I like says he is a guy who always makes the right play. I see some Brunson (not what he is now) or Nick Van Exel in his game. I have not seen him play a game, but it is tough. He looks really small, but looks intriguing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Biw-gpBpenY

[Chicagojk]

I watched 20 minutes of Arizona vs Baylor last night to get a look at freshman Carter Bryant for Arizona. He comes off the bench. He looks the part. He seems pretty limited being able to create for himself right now, but seems to have a pretty good basketball iq. His form on his jumper looks pretty smooth. He also looks to be a good defender. He is not ready for the NBA, but it wouldn't suprise me to see him being a lottery pick next year. If he enters the draft, someone will probably take him in the first round. Maybe in the top 20 just on upside. He looks like an NBA player.