Cooper Flagg has signed with the Dallas Mavericks on a four-year rookie deal, the franchise announced. Terms of the contract for the 2025 NBA Draft’s No. 1 pick were not disclosed, but Flagg is set to make $62.7 million over the deal per the NBA’s rookie salary scale for the 2025-26 season.
As a first-year player, Flagg will earn around $13.8 million, according to Spotrac, along with $28.3 million guaranteed per the agreement. By 2029, Flagg would be eligible to sign a $359 million supermax contract starting at 30 percent of the Mavericks’ salary cap. He would have to hit certain individual accolades to be awarded the supermax opportunity, but given his level of hype, Dallas is hopeful he becomes the franchise’s next face.
Flagg likely moves to the frontcourt as the Mavericks’ small forward in the starting lineup next season with Anthony Davis at the four and Dereck Lively at center. That would provide Dallas and Flagg with position flexibility as a scoring threat alongside two-guard Klay Thompson, who will be asked to provide scoring punch while point guard Kyrie Irving recovers from injury early.
Flagg expressed a yearning to have the ball in his hands during his introductory presser, often starring in the ACC as a point-forward of sorts coming down the floor for the Blue Devils.
He’s comfortable off the dribble at 6-foot-8 and many of the Blue Devils’ most successful plays last season came in pick-and-roll situations — which plays into the Mavericks’ strengths with Davis as a proven, all-star threat.
“I don’t think (Cooper) could have asked for anything better as the number one pick,” Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green said recently on “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis.” “You ain’t gotta go average 25 points on a bad team or 20 points on a bad team.”
Flagg plans to play summer league games later this month and Mavericks coach Jason Kidd is planning on throwing him into the fire as a primary ballhandler of sorts.
“I want to make him uncomfortable and see how he reacts,” Kidd said after the draft. “Being able to run the show, being able to play the two, play the three. He’s comfortable playing [the three], but we want to push, and I think he’s going to respond in a positive way. It’s all right to fail. It’s all right to turn the ball over. We’ve talked about that.”
Kidd previously used Giannis Antetokounmpo as a “point-forward” of sorts during his career in Milwaukee, which magnified the multi-time MVP’s expansive skill set.
“Just understanding the guys that I’ve been around that have been young, from Giannis, giving him the ball, and he failed,” Kidd said. “But he wanted to come back and have the ball, so I’m excited about giving (Flagg) the ball against the Lakers (in summer league) and see what happens. Let’s get it started right off the bat.”
Dallas plays Los Angeles to open the summer league slate July 10 at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
