Mavs Capture the Flagg — Wizards Fall Short Again

Wizards? No. Hornets? No. Jazz? No. Mavericks? YES! With just a 1.8% chance at landing Cooper Flagg, the Mavericks’ lottery win shocked everyone. As for DC, Wizards fans everywhere were left disappointed when their 14% chance was just not enough to land Flagg.

Mavs Snag the Flagg

Many have called this year’s NBA Draft Lottery the most important since LeBron James entered the league. Flagg’s all-around versatility made him a unanimous No. 1 pick, something we haven’t seen in recent drafts. At Duke, Flagg led the team in all major statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals. He also earned every major college basketball award, including the Naismith Trophy, the Wooden Award, the AP Player of the Year Award, the Oscar Robertson Trophy, and the NABC Division I Player of the Year award. Dominating college basketball was a breeze for him, earning recognition from the NBA League. 

Dallas jumped ten spots, the biggest leap in lottery history, to land Flagg. Flagg will now join two former Blue Devils, Dereck Lively II and Kyrie Irving, as the Mavericks look to get back on track. After trading away Luka Dončić in a shocking deal earlier in the year, Dallas lost their star player, playmaker, and leading scorer. Cooper Flagg will be able to make up for this loss and bring in a skill that many NBA players lack: defense. At Duke, Cooper Flagg prided himself on defense, excelling in blocks, steals, and rebounds. Not only will Flagg help fill the Mavericks’ offensive void, but he’ll also significantly boost their defense. This year, the odds have truly been in Dallas’ favor— not just in the NBA, but in the WNBA too. The Wings drafted Paige Bueckers about a month ago, giving the city a rare double-draft victory. 

Wizards Fans, Have Some Hope! 

The Wizards ended up with the No. 6 pick of the draft, which was not expected. This past season was a struggle for the team, and Flagg could have been what they needed to spark a full franchise turnaround. Even though they won’t get Flagg, CBS Sports’ mock draft has another Blue Devil projected to go as No. 6: Kon Knueppel. Although not talked about as much as his former teammate, Knueppel still has a lot to offer the Wizards. The Wizards’ offense has lacked efficiency, and Knueppel could help by improving their shot selection and creating more high-percentage shot opportunities. On the defensive side, Knueppel has been exceptional at contesting the ball without fouling, reading plays, and defending with physicality. He may not be Flagg, but he still has the skills to make an impact on both ends of the floor. 

Though the Wizards didn’t end up as the lottery winner, they still landed in a spot where they could get a player to crucially improve their team. As for the Mavericks, they were truly given a miracle. In a post-lottery interview, when asked if he saw this coming, Flagg said he “didn’t try to think about it too much” and that he’s “just trying to enjoy every single moment cause you only get to do this once.”