Cooper Flagg sets eyes on prestigious award at Dallas Mavericks’ media day
The Dallas Mavericks are headed into the upcoming NBA season, adding No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg to a veteran team with championship aspirations. At the team’s media day on Monday, Anthony Davis described how beneficial that could be for the rookie.
“A No. 1 pick, you’re usually going to a team that is in a rebuilding mode, and it’s going to be a lot of pressure on you to kind of help change that,” Davis said. “For him, when he’s coming to a team that’s established and have veteran talent and he doesn’t have to do as much as a normal No. 1 pick has to do, if that makes sense. Now we’re still going to, you know, ask him to be Cooper Flagg, for sure, but the pressure is not on him as much as it is a unusual No. 1 pick.
“I’m putting the pressure on myself, and I’m pretty sure [guard Kyrie Irving] will do the same, and just let him focus on basketball and constantly getting better each and every day.”
Davis joined the Mavs after being traded for Luka Doncic, in a blockbuster that shocked Mavs fans, but he only played nine games after an adductor strain knocked him out of his first game with the team versus the Houston Rockets in February.
The Mavs finished the season 12-18 after acquiring Davis.
Flagg will join a frontcourt that includes Davis, PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively.
Washington spoke about how crucial sacrifice will be with the talented but crowded frontcourt.
“It’s going to be really important. We have a lot of great guys on this team, a lot of guys who are aspiring to win, and at the end of the day, we all know we can’t play at the same time,” Washington said. “Just being able to cheer your teammate on when your not on the floor and having a good attitude I think is going to take us a long way.”
Given their depth, the Mavericks will be able to put out varied lineups and experiment until they can find the ideal pairing, but it seems likely Flagg and Davis will be starters.
Cooper Flagg expectations
Mavs head coach Jason Kidd explained why it would be a disservice not to challenge Flagg, which will be especially important for the Mavs as they will start the season without Kyrie Irving, who is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered against the Sacramento Kings in March.
“He has a talent about winning, it’s in his DNA, and so it would be unfair not to make him uncomfortable,” Kidd said. “I think he handled that this summer extremely well, knowing that he was going to be pressed. But he gives us something that if he’s pressed and he can beat it, it makes the offense so much easier for everyone else. Because he’s a willing passer and his IQ is extremely high. Point guard, you can call it that, but when you look at today’s game, how many positions are there? And so I think that's the thing is he can play every position. I tend not to label our players.”
For his part, Flagg seems to be up to the challenge.
“Obviously, I’d like to be the Rookie of the Year,” said Flagg, “As a team, obviously, I just want a lot of success, a lot of wins,” he said. “We obviously want to win a championship, so that’s a big thing. But I think how, like I said earlier, just being myself, if I can stay true to who I am and and what got me here, I think that any of the personal goals and things like that will kind of work themselves out.”
Injury updates
After Kidd said reports that Irving is ahead of schedule were false, the nine-time All-Star explained his approach to get back on the court.
“I’m right on schedule, guys,” Irving joked. “The best advice I got was just take your time. No timeline is going to be perfect, don’t compare it to anyone else and enjoy the process. Nah, I didn’t even approach it like that. ... For me it was about going internal, figuring out what I can do to push myself to get where I need to be.”
Davis, who missed time last season with an adductor strain and an eye injury, revealed that he would have to wear protective eyewear indefinitely.
“It’s like for the rest of [my] career, which I’m not too excited about, so I’ve been wearing them in the summer, working out and everything like that, trying to get used to them. But you guys will see me in the Horace Grants this year,” joked Davis.
Fans will have their chance to get their first look at the Mavs and Davis’ new eyewear at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Dickies Arena in their preseason debut against the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
This story was originally published September 29, 2025 at 4:55 PM.
