The hottest ticket for Day 1 of the NBA Las Vegas Summer League will be the highly anticipated matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers, as No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg makes his debut against Bronny James‘ squad. The last time Flagg played in an organized game was back in April when Duke lost to Houston in the Final Four.
Flagg’s debut will signify a new era for Dallas basketball. It’s been just over five months since the franchise traded cornerstone Luka Dončić to the Lakers in a deal that brought back star big man Anthony Davis.
Despite having the 11th-best odds to win the draft lottery, Dallas earned the No. 1 pick and had the right to select the Duke superstar who became just the fourth player in college basketball history to win National Player of the Year as a freshman.
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Cameron Salerno
It’s a summer league matchup, but there are still wagers to be had. The Lakers are favored (-178 at FanDuel) over the Mavericks with the over-under set at 176.5.
This won’t be the first summer league game for the Lakers, as Los Angeles participated in the California Classic with the Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs. James didn’t play in the Lakers’ first summer league game but dropped 10 points in a win over Miami in his first appearance.
Here is how to watch Flagg’s debut:
How to watch Lakers vs. Mavericks live
Date: Thursday, July 10 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Thomas & Mack Center — Las Vegas
TV: ESPN | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Why aren’t picks No. 1 vs. 2 playing in the first game?
Typically, the marquee game of the opening night of the summer league features the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks squaring off against each other. That won’t be the case this year, as the Mavericks and Flagg will face the Lakers, while No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper and the Spurs open the summer league in Sin City against the Philadelphia 76ers. Harper didn’t participate in the California Classic and will miss the opening game of the summer league because of a groin injury. According to reports, Harper is expected to make his debut on Saturday vs. the Mavericks and Flagg.
What to expect from Flagg
So, what should we expect from this game? Get ready to make your overreactions. The summer league is typically not the best setting to evaluate a prospect, but it is a good indicator of potential success. In Flagg’s case, he is used to playing against older competition. He reclassified to play at Duke a year early and was the best player in college basketball, having played half of the season at 17 years old. Flagg is the best two-way player in the class. Something that will be interesting to watch is what kind of point guard duties Flagg will have. Mavericks coach Jason Kidd mentioned that he expects Flagg to get reps on the ball this summer, and that could be crucial to his development as a player.
