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Mavericks, Nico Harrison go crazy in celebration over landing No.1 pick, winning Cooper Flagg sweepstakes

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones05/13/25brianjones_93
Nico Harrison
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks and general manager Nico Harrison were excited to land the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery and earn the right to select Cooper Flagg. The Mavericks’ official X/Twitter account showed Nico Harrison and other team officials celebrating after learning that they would have the top pick in this year’s draft.

It was a big win for Dallas after a challenging 2024-25 season. In February, the Mavericks made a shocking move and traded Luka Doncic. Nico Harrison took a lot of heat from the fans because Doncic is one of the top players in the league and led the Mavericks to an NBA Finals appearance last season.

“I did know that Luka was important to the fan base,” Harrison told reporters during a season-ending press conference last month, per ESPN. “I didn’t quite know it to what level.”

Mavericks are ‘so happy’ for the fans after winning the draft lottery

That’s why Harrison was excited to land the No. 1 pick. It’s more than likely the Mavericks will take Flagg, who will be teaming up with Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis. Flagg played at Duke this past season and was named the National College Player of the Year after averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per contest.

“For me, I didn’t try to think about it too much. I thought it was kind of out of my control, ” Flagg said at the NBA Draft Lottery, per the Mavericks’ official website. “So, I’m just kind of going through the process like everybody else and just trying to enjoy every single moment, because you only get to do this once. This entire experience for me has been amazing, so going forward, I’m just going to look forward to being a two-way player.”

“I am so happy for Mavericks fans,” Dallas CEO Rick Welts said, per ESPN. “I only got to Dallas Jan. 1 this year. Feb. 1, we broke the internet [with the Doncic trade]. I am just amazed at the depth of emotion and connection that the fan base has with this team. And what happened today, I can’t imagine a better day for Mavs fans. It’s going to really be something special. I can’t wait to get back to Dallas.”