God-given opportunity! The Mavericks plan to use the No. 1 pick: Select Flag + is not intended to be used to trade stars

On May 14, according to ESPN, after winning the No. 1 pick with a 1.8% chance, the Mavericks plan to use this lottery to select Duke forward Cooper Flag, and have no intention of using this lottery to trade the famous superstar.

The Mavericks were eliminated in the final game of the Western Conference Playoffs this season, ending this turbulent and injured season. At that time, their probability of winning a lottery draw was only 1.8%. A few months before the unexpected lottery draw, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison made a move to shock the NBA and anger the team fans - he traded Luca Doncic, who was selected for the NBA All-Team team five times, to the Lakers for a chip combination with 10 All-Stars as the core.

sources revealed to ESPN that as the new owner of the Mavericks, Dumont will see the opportunity to choose a landmark genius player like Flag as a "godsend opportunity." Although Dumont gave Harrison great autonomy in basketball operations, he still needs to make the decisions related to all personnel.

Doncic's transaction not only brought major business risks to the Mavericks, but also blurred the team's long-term development prospects. When creating a lineup that entered the NBA Finals in 2024, the Mavericks have directly sent it or lost their first-round draft picks from 2027 to 2030 through swap rights. Flag's arrival is expected to alleviate these two major problems.

Flag, who is 2.06 meters tall, was regarded as a popular candidate for the No. 1 pick in this draft. Flag's freshman performance exceeded expectations, winning almost all the important Player of the Year awards, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, and led Duke to the NCAA Final Four with a record of 35 wins and 4 losses.

"We are not sure who will be chosen in the end, but if we choose him, I think his resume is impressive enough," said Mavericks CEO Rick Weltz after winning the No. 1 pick. "Every time he is in a situation where everyone doubts whether he can succeed, he not only succeeds, but also far exceeds expectations."