Cooper Flagg is anticipated to be the Dallas Mavericks’ first choice in the 2025 NBA Draft. One of his potential teammates looks forward to it.
Much of the speculation around the Dallas Mavericks moving their No. 1 pick has subsided since the 2025 NBA Draft lottery. So it appears that former Duke standout Cooper Flagg is on his way to Dallas as the top draft pick.
One of his potential Mavs teammates is very optimistic about Flagg’s future in the league, as are the other highly talented incoming players.
Kyrie Irving, who will most certainly be inducted into the Hall of Fame for his championship-winning career, expressed his delight about the former Blue Devil joining him in Dallas, even stating that he and Flagg have already spoken.
“We are definitely connected,” Irving stated. “[Cooper Flagg]’s a Duke Blue Devil and I know he can deal with the pressure, and I’m looking forward to seeing a great season, not only from him but a lot of the other young players that are here.”
Irving has been with the Mavericks since 2022, when he was moved from the Brooklyn Nets. He started his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he won the NBA Championship in 2016 with former teammate LeBron James.
The 2025 NBA Draft is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, June 25 at 8 p.m. ET. Flagg is expected to be the first overall choice, sending him to Dallas, but he is not the only Blue Devil who will hear their name called in the first round.
Guard Kon Knueppel has been ranked among the top five picks in several mock drafts, and big man Khaman Maluach has received a lot of attention after his strong performance at the NBA Draft Combine.
Tyrese Proctor and Sion James, veteran guards, are anticipated to be picked early in the second round on Thursday, June 26.
ESPN gave Cooper Flagg the coolest NBA draft player comparison coming out of Duke.
Who do the Duke basketball rookies compare to in the NBA Draft?
The 2025 NBA Draft is approaching, and three rookies from this past season’s Duke basketball team are hoping to be among the top 10 picks. Top prospects are compared to NBA players before they begin their careers.
We all know the Dallas Mavericks will take Cooper Flagg with the first overall choice, but Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach haven’t received much attention from a single team. Both remain top ten prospects and are almost certainly lottery picks, if not top 10.
Flagg was compared favorably to a past Blue Devil wonder, and Knueppel and Maluach were also praised. Let’s look at ESPN’s comparisons of Duke’s three freshmen in this year’s draft.
Cooper Flagg
High end: Jayson Tatum has more defense.
Low end: Andre Iguodala has more offense.
According to ESPN, Flagg‘s floor is comparable to that of an NBA Finals MVP, but with somewhat greater offensive ability. It’s safe to say the Flagg buzz is real. In terms of his ceiling, ESPN compared the Maine native to one of the NBA’s best talents and a former Duke freshman phenom in Tatum. The Boston Celtics superstar is largely regarded as one of the NBA’s top five players, yet he receives little attention as the league’s potential face. Tatum is a six-time NBA All-Star, has made the All-NBA First Team four years in a row, and will bring the NBA Championship back to in 2024.
“If Flagg continues to make strides creating his own shot – where he has flashed comfort level in the midrange but needs refinement – the possibility of a Tatum-like scoring leap is on the table,” according to ESPN’s Jeremy Woo. One of the most common complaints leveled against Flagg as a top talent is his ability to be the No. 1 scorer on a championship team, despite the fact that he excels at almost everything else. If Flagg can improve his shot creation with the ball in his hands, both off the dribble and off the catch, his scoring potential is enormous.
Kon Knueppel
High-end: Desmond Bane
Low end: Joe Harris
ESPN identifies Knueppel as the top shooter in this year’s draft class, comparing him to Bane, a career 41% three-point shooter, and Harris, a career 43.6% perimeter shooter. At 6’7, Knueppel is as exceptional a 3-and-D NBA prospect as they come, as the Wisconsin native can physically and aggressively guard the one through four positions on the court. However, Knueppel’s attacking arsenal is not limited to outside shooting.
He’s an expert at getting to the basket off the dribble and finishing with two feet in contact. Aside from his scoring, Knueppel helps to winning basketball in every way imaginable. He makes the correct pass, never speeds up, and always puts his body on the line for a loose ball. Despite being only 20 years old when the 2025-26 NBA regular season begins, Knueppel is one of the lottery’s most pro-ready talents.
Khaman Maluach
High end: Rudy Gobert, but quicker.
Low end: Daniel Gafford, but bigger.
Maluach has the potential to be one of the top defenders in the NBA as he matures due to his excellent rim protection, athleticism to run the floor in transition with the guards at 7’2, and ability to guard the one through five on the field. Maluach was frequently moved onto guards during his rookie season at Duke, and his ability to stay in front of them on the perimeter has rarely been seen in a player of his size. It has also been stated that Maluach’s three-point shooting has improved during the pre-draft process, giving him an even more formidable offensive weapon in the long run.
“While Gobert can read as a slightly obvious comparison point for paint-protecting 7-footers, in this case, it illustrates Maluach’s upside as a player who could potentially provide major defensive backbone in a winning context,” says Woo.
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