The Dallas Mavericks have drafted Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick of the 2025 NBA Draft. It's a new era for the franchise, as the front office dealt Luka Doncic away to the Los Angeles Lakers just to luck out and land the top-ranked prospect. However, leading up to the draft, general manager Nico Harrison dropped an eye-opening take about the outlook of the organization with Flagg on the roster.

During an interview with CBS Sports, Harrison was asked if he believes the team is a title contender after picking Flagg No. 1 overall. The Mavericks' general manager didn't hesitate and claimed that he believes that is the case.

“That's exactly how we feel. We feel the same way [about the Mavs contending for a title],” said Nico Harrison. “We also think the beauty of having the No. 1 pick coming to a team that has veteran players, and really good players, and high expectations, is [that] the No. 1 pick doesn't have to carry the load.”

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Flagg joins a roster consisting of Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and Dereck Livlely II. The former Duke star has the privilege of developing alongside superstar-caliber players, which gives him the time needed to learn at the professional level and reduce the pressure of being a No. 1 pick overall.

Although that may be true, expectations are incredibly high for Cooper Flagg. Nico Harrison acquires an 18-year-old forward who is deemed as one of the best prospects in league history. Some believe that Flagg was ready to go pro at just 16 years old. So, he should be ready to go from the jump.

The decision to move on from Doncic was a bold one from Nico Harrison. Doncic, who is 26 years old, is considered one of the best players in the league right now. Many were upset with Harrison for trading the superstar talent to the Lakers in exchange for Davis. Picking Flagg first overall potentially did not cool tempers from the fanbase, as many are still upset with Harrison for that trade.