Jay Bilas: Cooper Flagg makes Dallas Mavericks 'a contender' in the Western Conference

Cooper Flagg is drafted and poised to take over the NBA if he meets expectations as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. But how fast will the newest member of the Dallas Mavericks organization take them all the way?

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, who called several of Flagg’s college games at Duke last season, believes the Mavericks may be back in contention sooner rather than later. As long as the Mavericks stay healthy.

“When healthy, it’s going to make Dallas a contender in the West,” Bilas said during an appearance on SportsCenter on Thursday. “I was there Christmas Day last year to do a Christmas Day game, and it was actually the one that Luka Doncic got injured in. I thought that Dallas’ roster was better at that time than it was the year before, when they went to the NBA Finals.

“But obviously, things changed with the (Doncic) trade and with the injury to Kyrie Irving. But once they’re healthy, once Kyrie Irving is back, if it’s January, February, Cooper Flagg will have some NBA experience. They can put him anywhere on the floor.”

The Mavericks received major backlash after trading Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers just over a month later. Down Doncic and Irving, the Mavericks finished the year with a 39-43 record.

Flagg will team up with the likes of Irving, Anthony Davis and more as a team that is shooting for playoff contention in year one of Flagg’s tenure. However, Irving is still returning from his ACL injury. Flagg could be looked at as a top scoring option on the Mavericks without him in the lineup.

“He’s the best player in this draft and one of the best prospects I’ve seen in my 23 years of doing the NBA draft for ESPN,” Bilas continued. “So I don’t doubt that he’s going to make a big impact, and his impact is going to be on both ends of the floor.

“He’s not just a scorer and a passer and a very skilled offensive player, but he’s arguably an even better defensive player that can guard multiple positions. He rebounds, gets deflection, steals, blocks. I have no doubt if he stays healthy, he’s going to be the real deal.”

Flagg will be under placed under a microscope during his NBA career. His expectations are through the roof, and the Mavericks are hoping they’ve drafted the centerpiece of their organization.