In 1994, the Mavericks secured the services of Jason Kidd with the second pick of the draft because they were really bad. Last summer, the Mavericks landed Cooper Flagg with the first pick because they were really lucky. But are they now headed into the land of the really bad?

Veteran guard Klay Thompson credited rookie forward Cooper Flagg for his steady growth and confidence following the Dallas Mavericks’ 113–105 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night.

Fresh off another 20-point performance, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd praised Cooper Flagg on Monday for stepping up and serving as a team leader.

Mavericks' Cooper Flagg makes basketball history faster than even LeBron James originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Cooper Flagg has done it again.

For months prior to the 2025 NBA Draft, it was clear that, regardless of which team won the Draft Lottery, Cooper Flagg was overwhelmingly likely to be the No. 1 overall pick. That projection came to fruition when the Dallas Mavericks unexpectedly jumped up to No. 1 and, for the most part, Flagg has hit the ground running.

The Dallas Mavericks didn’t overwhelm the Brooklyn Nets with star power alone, they beat them with teamwork and a rookie who looked far more comfortable than his draft status might suggest.

The Dallas Mavericks are set to host the Brooklyn Nets on Monday, January 12, 2026, at 8:30 pm ET. The Mavericks, with key players like Cooper Flagg and Klay Thompson, face a Nets team led by Michael Porter Jr.

Dallas Mavericks rookie forward Cooper Flagg shared an update on his knee injury scare after their win over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday.