DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks were defeated by the Charlotte Hornets in a preseason game on Saturday night, losing 120-116. However, 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg played well, especially in the first half. He ended up playing into the third quarter before his night came to an end, as he finished the contest with 11 points, four assists, three rebounds and three steals. One of the storylines heading into the game was that Flagg would be playing against some of his former Duke teammates — such as Kon Knueppel. Flagg addressed playing his ex-teammates after the game.

“It was cool, having three former teammates on the same team, being able to play against them at this level is pretty cool,” Flagg told reporters. “I just feel blessed to have this opportunity to be able to play against them. It was pretty cool.”

Did playing against them give Flagg any extra motivation?

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“Not really, but it is always nice to have that extra little bit of competition,” Flagg said.

Flagg, as mentioned, was selected first overall in the draft. Knueppel would be selected three picks later at No. 4 overall.

“It's pretty cool, you know… number four pick is a big deal,” Flagg said of Knueppel. “Just being happy for him. That's somebody that's gonna be a friend of mine for life. I'm just happy for him. I think he's in a great situation and a great spot. Just so happy for him moving forward with the opportunity that he has.”

Cooper Flagg and the Mavs' next preseason game is scheduled for Monday night in Utah against the Jazz. Dallas will then finish the preseason against the Los Angeles Lakers in Las Vegas on Wednesday before their regular season opener in Dallas against the San Antonio Spurs on October 22.