The Dallas Mavericks have so much hope for the future despite their disastrous decision to trade away Luka Doncic in the middle of his prime, and it's thanks in large part to the arrival of Cooper Flagg, the first overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft that seemed to fall in the Mavs' lap as a mulligan for past errors. Flagg is projected to be a franchise cornerstone, someone who can be a go-to scoring option on the wing while being a defensive menace.
Flagg has a lot of growing to do, of course, before he establishes himself as one of the best players in the NBA. But everyone has to start somewhere, and on Monday, the Mavericks' prized rookie made his preseason debut against the Oklahoma City Thunder's B-squad.
While it may have taken Flagg a bit of time to show what he could do on the offensive end, he certainly made his first-ever NBA preseason bucket a memorable one. The Mavericks forward took the ball to the hoop in semi-transition and went all the way to the cup, taking on Jaylin Williams head-on and finishing around him with a dipsy-doodle, double-clutch layup with around five and a half minutes left in the second quarter.
And just to top it off, on the following possession, the Mavericks youngster hit a pull-up three after getting a switch on a screening action — showing his all-around offensive game.
Cooper Flagg is finally here 🍿
An acrobatic double-clutch layup and a triple for his first NBA preseason points!pic.twitter.com/R744isdtWD
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 7, 2025
There were perhaps some nerves for Flagg to deal with to begin his preseason career. The Mavericks rookie missed his first two shots, both of which were jumpshots. Thus, it looked like it was crucial for him to see the ball go through the hoop, as he made his next three shots (he hit another triple in the second period) as well as two free throws to finish the first half with 10 points.
The sky is the limit for Flagg, and he looks just about ready to take off.
Cooper Flagg is the Mavericks' future
Flagg is going to be such an unstoppable player once he matures. He is already showcasing advanced ballhandling skills for an 18-year-old forward who stands at 6'9″, and him showing how deadly he already can be from beyond the arc just has to have the Mavericks salivating over his full potential.
In addition to his 10 points, Flagg added six rebounds, three assists, and a block. The Mavericks are not going to be playing him in the second half.
