The Dallas Mavericks have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and it is presumed they will take Duke superstar Cooper Flagg with the pick. But ESPN’s insiders think a trade with the San Antonio Spurs could be of great benefit to the team.
While there have been theories that Dallas general manager Nico Harrison, the much-maligned executive who traded away Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers this season, will similarly trade the chance to draft Flagg. And if he did that, the Spurs would certainly be among the teams with compelling offers to the Mavericks.
The Spurs are not going to trade former first overall pick Victor Wembanyama, of course, but most others on the roster would seem like fair game if San Antonio could realistically add Flagg. In ESPN’s mock trade, though, it would not take any current NBA players at all to get a deal done.
ESPN’s Zach Kram suggested that the Mavericks receive the Spurs’ Nos. 2 and 14 overall picks in the upcoming draft, as well as the Atlanta Hawks’ 2027 first-rounder, and their own 2030 first-round pick swap rights, which currently belong to San Antonio. In exchange for that, the Spurs would get the first pick — a.k.a. Cooper Flagg.
Kram compared the trade to 1993 when the Orlando Magic traded first overall selection Chris Webber to the Golden State Warriors for Penny Hardaway.
“In 1993, the Warriors sent three future firsts to the Orlando Magic to facilitate a swap of No. 3 pick Penny Hardaway (Memphis) for No. 1 pick Chris Webber (Michigan),” Kram wrote. “That sounds about right here, with Flagg filling in for Webber — who, like Flagg, was a mega-prospect coming off a standout college career — and Dylan Harper filling in for Hardaway as a big, dynamic guard.”
Article Continues Below
While the historical comparison may work on the surface, the Mavericks are in a unique position. For one, Harrison stated shortly after trading Doncic that the Mavericks had a three-year championship window, including this season. Not many teams with the first overall pick in the draft are looking at that tight of a competitive window.
Secondly, the Mavericks’ fan base and the general NBA world turned hard on Dallas after the Doncic trade. People called for Harrison to be fired and new owner Patrick Dumont to sell the team, sponsors pulled their support, and multiple reports surfaced detailing the turmoil in various parts of the organization. Even if a trade like the one Kram suggested makes sense, it would be a very, very risky move for the Mavericks’ front office or ownership to not take Flagg first overall.
The Mavericks would also likely have to make several other deals if they punted on Flagg and prioritized collecting draft capital; Anthony Davis would no longer make sense long-term, and neither would Klay Thompson, both of whom are in their 30s and best suited to play for championship contenders.
In a little over three weeks, the 2025 NBA Draft will take place in Brooklyn.
