Nico Harrison emerged from the Dallas Mavericks’ draft room more than two hours after making the No. 1 pick, smiling like he’d just turned in the card. For many inside the American Airlines Center, the grin was justified. Cooper Flagg — the 18-year-old forward from Duke — had officially become a Maverick, and with him came the promise of something more than just basketball.
“Eventually it’s going to be Cooper’s team,” Harrison said. “We don’t know when that transition will happen. So I think it’s win now and then set yourself up to win in the future as well.”
The Mavericks’ draft party captured both sides of that reality — one filled with celebration, and another with skepticism.
Thousands of fans packed the AAC on draft night to witness a moment that was more than 40 years in the making. It was only the second time in franchise history that Dallas held the top overall pick. The team leaned into the improbable nature of it all, handing out “1.8” T-shirts to mark their pre-lottery odds and lining the team store with freshly printed Cooper Flagg jerseys.
When NBA Commissioner Adam Silver officially announced the selection, the arena erupted. For that moment, it was pure elation. Mark Aguirre and Nick Van Exel mingled with fans. Paige Bueckers, the Dallas Wings’ own No. 1 pick, took in the event and marveled at the atmosphere. It felt like the beginning of something special.
Dallas Mavericks fans celebrate Cooper Flagg being selected No. 1 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft at the team’s watch party. pic.twitter.com/TMwWUTlD0K
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) June 26, 2025
Flagg represented hope and reason for excitement. The franchise had a generational talent — one Harrison described as a competitive, coachable, all-around winner. And now, he belonged to Dallas.
But even in that moment of euphoria, tension was never far away.
Near the time of the pick was made, chants of “Fire Nico” broke out across sections of the arena. The chants reflected an unresolved frustration with Harrison and the front office stemming from the controversial Luka Dončić trade earlier in the season. Though Davis remains a key part of the franchise’s present — and Cooper Flagg, its future — the emotions around losing Dončić have not settled.
The timing of the chants, bracketed around the arrival of a player fans clearly wanted, underscored just how deep the divide remains. Flagg might be the right pick, but for some, the trust in the front office hasn’t recovered.
However, immediately after the pick, fans flooded the concourses and team store, eager to be among the first to purchase Flagg’s jersey. Long lines formed quickly, with many waiting patiently to secure the symbolic start of a new era.
From the front office’s perspective, Flagg’s arrival is the cornerstone of a two-pronged approach: contention now, and sustainability going forward.
“He’s going to be on the floor,” Harrison said. “The big thing is who he can defend. He’s a great defender. So I think positionally, you’re going to see us play a different style of basketball with him and P.J. [Washington] on the wings.”
Harrison confirmed that Jason Kidd will remain the head coach — despite rumors linking him to the Knicks — and that both he and Kidd view Flagg as a multi-position, modern basketball weapon. “We have this joke,” Harrison added. “When the season’s over with, [Jason] passes me the ball. And when the season starts, I pass him the ball back.”
Dallas Mavericks fans in line to buy a No. 32 Cooper Flagg jersey at the American Airlines Center. pic.twitter.com/nFYLZ7LOjx
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) June 26, 2025
That collaborative approach will be important as Flagg navigates playing alongside veterans like Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson. The Mavericks don’t view Flagg as a savior — they view him as a centerpiece who won’t need to carry the franchise alone. Unlike most No. 1 picks, he’s walking into a locker room filled with champions.
“When you really have a good culture, I don’t think it matters who’s the focal point or who’s the guy,” Harrison said. “If you’re just playing and everybody’s focused on winning, then the ball is going to find people.”
According to Harrison, Flagg’s transition into the team is already underway. During his pre-draft visit to Dallas, six Mavericks players took him out to dinner. P.J. Washington stayed to watch Flagg’s 75-minute workout.
“I said, ‘Hey, P.J., you think you guys can play together?’” Harrison recalled. “He’s like, ‘Oh yeah, we can play together.’ So I don’t see any jealousy. I think guys are excited to play with him.”
Flagg’s reputation preceded him — both for his versatility and his personality. “His coach will tell you, ‘When I can coach my best player tough, it makes it easier to coach everybody else,’” Harrison said. “His teammates will say, ‘Best teammate I’ve ever had, most competitive person.’”
The photos from draft night tell two parallel stories. There are young fans wearing new No. 32 Flagg jerseys, beaming as they pose beside legends of the past. There are parents talking about a “new chapter.” And then there are videos — circulating widely online — of fans loudly calling for change, demanding accountability for past decisions.
Both stories are true. Flagg changed the trajectory of the Mavericks’ future. But he didn’t erase the past.
As the night wound down, Harrison’s late exit from the draft room, still grinning, felt like a symbolic pause — a moment to enjoy a franchise-altering pick, while knowing the real work begins now.
