Dallas took the Duke forward with the top pick Wednesday night, hoping they have found their next franchise superstar less than five months after trading one away.

The Cooper Flagg era has officially begun as the Mavericks made him the No. 1 overall pick in Wednesday night’s NBA draft. Flagg, wearing a blue three-piece suit with a black tie, walked across the Barclays Center stage to shake the hand of commissioner Adam Silver, fulfilling a longstanding dream of reaching the NBA.

The Dallas Mavericks kicked off the 2025 NBA Draft with the least surprising selection of the night as the franchise selected Cooper Flagg with the first overall pick.