Sources told ESPN that the Dallas Mavericks plan to choose Duke forward Cooper Flagg after he scored the first overall pick in the NBA draft and would not leave you reluctant to exchange the draft pick as a proven superstar.

The Mavericks had only 1.8% chance of winning the lottery in their final game in the Western Conference to end the turbulent, injured season.

It was unlikely to be a lottery victory after Dallas general manager Nico Harrison shocked the NBA and traded five-time all-NBA Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, headlined with 10-time All-Star forward Anthony Davis, months after Dallas general manager Nico Harrison shocked the NBA and irritated the Mavericks fan base a few months after Dallas general manager Nico Harrison shocked the NBA and irritated the Mavericks fan base.

Sources told ESPN that Patrick Dumont, who had just been Governor of Mavericks, believes there is a chance to draft talent from generation to generation like Flagg. Although Dumont gave Harrison a lot of room for basketball, the Governor made a final decision on all matters.

The consequences of Doncic Trade have caused significant business problems for MAV and masked the long-term prospects of a franchise, abandoning first-round draft capital from 2027 to 2030, either directly or through swap rights, while building a Dallas support lineup. Flag's arrival will alleviate these two problems.

The 6-foot-9 Flag is considered a leader in the draft since August 2023, when he announced his decision to graduate one year early and recruited a university at a 17-year-old.

Despite being one of the most anticipated freshmen to enter the college game in several years, Flagg won nearly all National Player of the Year awards, with an average of 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists, and led the Blue Devils (35-4) to their final four games.

"I don't know who we're going to, but if we take him there, I think his resume is very strong," Mavericks CEO Rick Welts said Tuesday. "Every time he gets stuck in a situation where everyone wants to know if he can succeed, he succeeds, and then some."

Michael C. Wright and Jonathan Givony of ESPN contributed to the report.