With every passing day, the Dallas Mavericks get one step closer to a critical turning point for the franchise. The Mavericks have the 2025 NBA Draft in their sights after landing the No. 1 pick a couple of weeks ago. As it stands, Dallas is projected to select former Duke star Cooper Flagg at the top of the draft on June 25.
Flagg is the consensus No. 1 pick across the board and most reporters have been talking as if it’s a matter of when, not if, he’ll be on the Mavericks roster.
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With that being said, not everyone appears to be sold on Flagg’s ceiling at the professional level.
Earlier this month, former NBA champion and renowned defender, Tony Allen, shared a hot take regarding the 18-year-old’s potential. Allen doesn’t believe Flagg is a franchise-changing talent like Kevin Durant.
Instead, Allen thinks Flagg is someone who is more along the lines of Andrei Kirkilenko.
“I don’t think Cooper Flagg’s going to turn your franchise around like that,” Allen said on Grind City Media. “I’m serious and I say this because…he’s nice, he’s nice, let’s give him he’s nice. I ain’t seeing KD [Kevin Durant]. I’m just not seeing all that, bro. I’m seeing Andrei Kirilenko.
A one-time all-star, Kirilenko was a solid player, though a similar arc for Flagg would be disappointing for a No. 1 overall pick. Allen just doesn’t see anything truly special about Flagg from his viewpoint.
“He’s going to be a one-time All-Star. I don’t see it, bro. I’m just not hyped on these Duke kids. Look at the last couple that came out…He is nice, but his max-out potential is Andrei Kirilenko.”
Allen was also emphatic that Flagg won’t win the Rookie of the Year but didn’t elect to name his choice.
It’s an interesting stance from Allen but he might just not be a big fan of the Mavericks. After all, he played for the Memphis Grizzlies from 2010-17, who eliminated Dallas from the play-in a few weeks ago. Allen had his jersey retired by Memphis earlier this year.
Flagg was named the National College Player of the Year during his true freshman campaign at Duke. After joining the Blue Devils as a five-star prospect, he averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks in 30.7 minutes per game. Flagg shot 48.1% from the field, 38.5% from three-point range, and 84.0% from the charity stripe.
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