The Dallas Mavericks have so much hope for the future despite their disastrous decision to trade away Luka Doncic in the middle of his prime, and it's thanks in large part to the arrival of Cooper Flagg , the first overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft that seemed to fall in the Mavs' lap as a mulligan for past errors. Flagg is projected to be a franchise cornerstone, someone who can be a go-to scoring option on the wing while being a defensive menace.

Flagg has a lot of growing to do, of course, before he establishes himself as one of the best players in the NBA. But everyone has to start somewhere, and on Monday, the Mavericks' prized rookie made his preseason debut against the Oklahoma City Thunder's B-squad.

While it may have taken Flagg a bit of time to show what he could do on t

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