Draymond Green calls Cooper Flagg lucky to land with the Dallas Mavericks: "You ain't gotta go average 25 points on a bad team"
Draymond Green calls Cooper Flagg lucky to land with the Dallas Mavericks: "You ain't gotta go average 25 points on a bad team" originally appeared on Basketball Network.
On his recent podcast, Draymond Green weighed in on the NBA's biggest story this week: the Dallas Mavericks selecting Duke's Cooper Flagg as the first pick in the 2025 Draft.
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Green's reaction? While many praise the Mavs for hitting gold, the 35-year-old sees it both ways. In his view, Flagg is a "lucky man" to have landed with that particular franchise, adding, "I don't think he could have asked for anything better as the number one pick."
Flagg joins a loaded Mavs team
Typically, the NBA draft lottery favors struggling teams with poor records, giving them top picks to rebuild. However, this year, the Mavericks — who finished 39-43 and nearly made the playoffs — landed the number one pick, raising eyebrows and fueling conspiracy theories.
It's certainly not common for a number one pick to join that kind of franchise, but as Golden State Warriors' Green pointed out, it's definitely not negative for Flagg, a highly talented 6'8" forward.
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Dray, for instance, highlighted that Coop's new team, which made the 2024 NBA Finals, already boasts a strong roster. For the reigning national college player of the year, joining a competitive side instead of a rebuilding one offers clear advantages.
"You ain't gotta go average 25 points on a bad team or 20 points on a bad team," Green said.
Of course, the NBA veteran — like everyone else — knows that a player picked that highly faces intense pressure, no matter the situation. Yet, according to "Day-Day," in Texas, "The Maine Event" will have "great vets" to help shoulder that.
"You get to go compete and learn from some of the best, you know, so I think that's great," emphasized the four-time NBA champion.
Inside Dallas' roster puzzle
The Mavericks, coached by Hall of Famer Jason Kidd, have been quite successful in recent years, and that will be valuable for Flagg, said Green. Equally important to the young player's development, according to the 2017 DPOY, is how "great" the organization is.
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"A lot of times, when you're the number one pick, you go to a shitty organization," the Michigan native said. "This time, it's going to a great organization."
That's certainly a bold claim, given the team's February trade when General Manager Nico Harrison sent franchise cornerstone — at least many thought so — Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for an aging, injury-prone Anthony Davis.
Although there is still backlash, the controversial move ultimately secured the top draft pick, which brought Flagg, who averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game in his one-and-done college season, to Dallas.
The final topic Green and his co-host, former NBA player Baron Davis, discussed was how the Mavericks' newest addition would fit into their starting five.
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Dray believes Coop isn't a wing player and won't slide to small forward. Meanwhile, he said Davis prefers playing power forward over center — an apparent clash of roles between the two.
Dallas also has traditional big men Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford up front. The 2017 steals leader called that roster setup "interesting" in terms of how it will "play out."
However, as Green claimed, one thing is certain: Flagg's talent places him at the top of the team's hierarchy, so he certainly "won't shift," while others will ultimately have to.
Related: "We don't know if he'll turn into a generational player" - Arenas reminds everyone Flagg still has to prove his worth
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
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