Mavericks Reap Over $8 Million from Cooper Flagg's Impact
The Dallas Mavericks went through a rollercoaster of a season. After general manager Nico Harrison made the shocking move to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for a package centered around Anthony Davis, the team struggled.
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That was largely due to Davis missing time with an injury and star guard Kyrie Irving tearing his left ACL. Regardless, from March 1 through the end of the regular season, the Mavericks went just 6-14, finishing 39-43 and securing the 10th seed in the Western Conference.
They ended up in the NBA Play-In Tournament, where they won the first game but lost the second, which eliminated them from playoff contention. Dallas then went to the NBA Draft Lottery, where it won the rights to the No. 1 overall pick with the 11th-best odds.
Former Duke Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg was the consensus top pick in every mock draft, and the Mavericks were not going to pass on him. They made things official on Wednesday night and are already reaping the benefits of landing the top pick and Flagg.
According to Lovinger & Fine of BLOOMBERG NEWS, Mavericks CEO Rick Welts admitted the team "sold about" $8 million in new season tickets after winning the draft lottery. And once they selected Flagg, "almost 2,000 fans bought $125 Flagg jerseys from pop-up jersey printers in the arena and online."
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Dallas Mavericks' first overall pick, Cooper FlaggJerome Miron-Imagn Images
The Mavericks were already expected to compete for a championship without Flagg, but with him, they get even better. The 18-year-old was the National Player of the Year in his only collegiate season, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while leading Duke to the Final Four.
Flagg will get his first opportunity to represent the Mavericks at the NBA 2K26 Summer League, where he'll face the Lakers in Las Vegas. Tip-off is scheduled for July 10 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Related: Cooper Flagg Receives Big News After 2025 NBA Draft
Related: Duke Posts Two-Word Message After Mavericks Draft Cooper Flagg
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
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