NBA – Before the draft of Cooper Flagg, the Mavericks’ first problem is already in sight!

Par Joël Pütz | Journaliste sportif

With Dallas holding the first pick in the 2025 draft, selecting Cooper Flagg seems like a must for the franchise. And yet, his arrival could cause headaches for coach Jason Kidd… It’s up to him to find a solution.

Theoratically, there aren’t too many questions to ask about the Mavericks’ plans on draft night. Cooper Flagg has been the clear favorite for the first pick for months. Whether in terms of talent or need, any franchise would be willing to take the young Duke big man. That’s why the team quickly declared they weren’t open to a trade.

We can therefore expect the Texans to field a frontcourt of Anthony Davis and Cooper Flagg starting next season. A very tempting prospect… provided it works, of course. Not only because the two players need to develop chemistry, but also because the franchise’s plans for its rookie could upset the former Laker superstar, according to Athlon Sports:

Cooper Flagg and Anthony Davis, stepping on each other’s toes?

But what’s of more interest among NBA executives, coaches and scouts, it seems, is what the Mavericks then do with Flagg. At 6-foot-8, he has combo-forward size, meaning he can play either small forward or power forward. He has the defensive chops to handle either, though with an increasing number of versatile 4s who play on the perimeter, he’d probably make more sense in that role.

“That’s where I’d like to see him, in that stretch-4, point-forward kind of role, where you’re setting up and running everything through him,” one Western Conference coach said. “That’s the natural fit. But I am not sure you’re going to do that on that team.” The reason? The Mavericks have Anthony Davis in place, and Davis has never been shy about his desire to play power forward, though he generally fits better as a versatile center.

The Mavericks have center options–Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively–which has allowed them to plant Davis at power forward. Davis does not want to play center–it’s been a point of contention for him just about every season of his NBA career. The Mavs could trade Gafford, which would create more minutes for Davis to absorb at center, with Flagg at power forward. But it’s not clear how that will go over with the incumbent star.

As a reminder, AD was traded by the Lakers in February after complaining about his usage a few weeks earlier. Not a fan of the center position, The Brow would prefer to play power forward permanently… Which seems very complicated to implement if Dallas wants to exploit Cooper Flagg’s full potential.