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Another NBA Draft lottery went down in the books, giving fans another reason to call the process rigged. Regardless, the Dallas Mavericks received a lucrative compensation prize, whether intentional or not, for the failed Luka Doncic trade, securing the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, which the Mavs will most likely use to select Duke's Cooper Flagg.
With the Mavericks' new age on the horizon, Kyrie Irving is excited to be a part of the process. Irving, 33, knows his window is quickly closing but cannot wait to help Dallas transition into the Flagg era, according to Sam Amico of Hoops Wire.
“In fact, a source familiar with the situation told Hoops Wire that Irving is ‘remarkably excited' about the possibility of teaming up with Flagg, calling it a ‘rare chance to help shape the future with someone who shares his Duke lineage and sky-high potential,'” Amico wrote.
The Mavericks had less than a 2 percent chance of winning the NBA Draft lottery but ended up doing so anyway. As one of the most-hyped prospects of the last decade, Flagg has been the projected No. 1 pick for the last year and only solidified that belief with each outing at Duke.
Mavericks' Kyrie Irving ready to pass torch to Cooper Flagg
Irving, a flashy point guard, is a fundamentally different player from Flagg, a 6-foot-9 Swiss Army knife. However, the similarities in their careers are evident, with the former predating the latter by over a decade.
Like Flagg is projected to be, Irving was the No. 1 pick of the 2011 NBA Draft. He landed in Cleveland shortly after LeBron James left for the Miami Heat and started the beginning of the team's rebuild. Irving went on to win Rookie of the Year, make four All-Star teams, one All-NBA team and win an NBA title with the Cavaliers before they traded him to the Boston Celtics in 2017.
Eight years later, Irving is back to being the heart of an offense after the Mavericks puzzlingly sent Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. However, he might not spend much time on the court during Flagg's rookie year after tearing his ACL in March. His recovery period has him missing likely all of the 2025-2026 season with the potential for a late-season return.
