The Dallas Mavericks are expected to take Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft on Wednesday, ushering in a new star for the franchise to get excited about.
The Mavericks, of course, stunned the NBA when they decided to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this year, and in turn, angered much of their fanbase. Mavericks fans protested outside of the team's arena, chanted "Fire Nico" during games, and overall felt betrayed by the franchise for trading their star.
The silver lining for the city came when they shockingly landed the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft lottery, and the opportunity to take another potentially generational star in Flagg. By the timeline of these events, Flagg's expected arrival in Dallas will be seen as the replacement for Doncic as the face of the franchise, but Flagg himself isn't feeling pressure to replace Doncic.
“I wouldn’t look at anything as pressure," Flagg said Tuesday ahead of the NBA draft. "I’m not worried about living up to certain players’ expectations or things like that. I’m just going to be myself and really try to get better every single day that I can.”
Cooper Flagg on the prospect of following Luka Doncic on the Dallas Mavericks: “I wouldn’t look at anything as pressure. … I’m not worried about living up to certain players’ expectations or things like that. I’m just going to be myself and try to get better every day.” pic.twitter.com/uvslnjy9xD
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) June 24, 2025
It's understandable Flagg doesn't feel the need to live up to Doncic. After all, he was a top prospect in this draft long before Doncic was traded, and it's not his responsibility to make up for that move.
Still, the Flagg effect is already taking shape in Dallas and on the Mavericks in general. A Mavericks team source told ESPN's Baxter Holmes that receiving the No. 1 pick in the draft has already helped the team sell season tickets again and bring in additional sponsorships.
"We sold $8 million in new season tickets in the three days after the lottery," the source told ESPN.
He added, "We have done two additional new sponsor deals, one the second largest in our history, since the luck of the lottery."
Flagg might not be feeling the pressure to be the next star for the Mavericks, but there are certainly high hopes and expectations for what he'll bring to Dallas.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cooper Flagg Discusses Pressure of Succeeding Luka Doncic As Face of Mavericks.
