The Mavericks may have landed the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, but they're not rebuilding. The team intends to compete right away, with rookie Cooper Flagg joining a lineup that will feature Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson and, eventually, Kyrie Irving among others.
Irving's status for the 2025–26 season is up in the air as he works back from a torn ACL suffered in March. The recently-signed D'Angelo Russell will likely fill his spot in the lineup, but also expect Flagg to have the ball in his hands plenty as he continues to adapt to the pro game.
During halftime of Flagg's Summer League debut against the Lakers, ESPN's Malika Andrews asked Dallas coach Jason Kidd about the rookie phenom's role, and the possibility that we see "Point Coop" this year—especially while Irving is out.
"I think when you have someone like Cooper who can handle, who can shoot, who can pass, you want the ball in his hands. And so he's a great decision-maker," Kidd said. "He did that at Duke and also in high school, so you get to see it tonight. He's going to have some mistakes. We all did. We all threw it in the stands once in a while. But I think—just his poise as an 18-year-old is incredible."
"His poise as an 18-year-old is incredible."@malika_andrews gets Jason Kidd's first impressions of Cooper Flagg in his summer league debut 👀 pic.twitter.com/E7KW6LwCLb
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 11, 2025
Flagg leads all players in Thursday's game with 26 minutes played as of publication, and Andrews remarked on his heavy workload to Kidd, who is impressed with what he's seen from the young forward.
"I think Cooper's done an incredible job with all the minutes. He's handled the ball, he's gotten wide-open shots for teammates, he's finished. I think you've seen a lot of what he can do in this league.
Flagg has had an up-and-down night, with 10 points and five rebounds on 5 of 19 shooting (0 for 5 from three-point range), but most will likely remember the highlight that was his first NBA bucket—a massive poster slam off of a steal early in the game.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jason Kidd Hints at Crucial Role for Cooper Flagg During Rookie Year With Mavericks.
