The Dallas Mavericks fans had grown attached to their former star, Luka Doncic. Hence, his sudden trade left many fans furious, and general manager Nico Harrison became the target of widespread frustration. However, Harrison believes the recent drafting of Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick has begun to soften some of that backlash from the fan base.
During Flagg’s introductory press conference on Friday, Harrison was asked whether the addition of the Duke standout might help mend the strained relationship with Mavericks supporters. Harrison responded optimistically.
“Yeah. I think so. I think it will help. Most importantly, we’re in win-now mode, and we have a really good team, and Cooper adds to that. So I think the fans finally start to see the vision,” Harrison said.
Nico Harrison was asked (again) if drafting Cooper Flagg will heal the relationship with Mavericks fans.
— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) June 27, 2025
He doubled down on his previous answer.
"Yeah, I think so… I think it will help."
Says Dallas is in "win-now" mode and the "fans finally start to see the vision."#MFFL pic.twitter.com/xAvA16tu75
“When I first watched him play, my first impression was, wow. It’d be great to have the No. 1 pick. But the way he impacted the game on both sides of the ball. He played super hard. That was my initial reaction, not thinking we would have a chance to draft him. It was more of a dream,” he added.
Cooper Flagg Says Duke Prepared Him For The NBA Spotlight
At his introductory press conference, Cooper Flagg was asked how his experience at Duke helped him handle the massive attention that comes with being the No. 1 pick. In response, Flagg shared how his college prepared him for the big stage.
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“Being able to go to Duke and being in that spotlight is kind of good preparation, and nowadays, with NIL era, college kids are kind of under a bigger microscope. So I think it’s a great preparation to come to the next level and have a year to deal with the media and all that stuff. Just great to have that year of preparation,” Flagg replied, according to Mavs.com.
Flagg certainly showed signs of being a franchise-caliber player during his one-year stint at Duke. In his lone college season, he averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. Hence, the Mavericks front office hopes they’ve found the right player to lead them into a new era.
Also Read: Jason Kidd Reveals Bold Plan For Cooper Flagg’s Summer League Debut Against The Lakers
