NBA fans got the first glimpse of Cooper Flagg’s Dallas Mavericks career on Thursday. It might not have been a big night, but it was certainly exciting.
The first overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft posted 10 points on 5-of-21 shooting, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals in an 87-85 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. He had a key block then assisted on the decisive 3-pointer to help the Mavericks win.
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“Not up to my standard, but I’m going to improve,” Flagg said afterward. “I’m going to be alright.”
Flagg’s first points came on a dunk in transition.
In the meantime, Flagg was doing a lot of stuff that doesn’t show up on the box score. His size was noticeable while matching up with other wings, and much of the Mavericks offense was flowing through him, at least until halftime. He went scoreless in the second half.
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd praised him during a halftime interview on the ESPN broadcast:
“I think Cooper’s done an incredible job with all the minutes. He’s handled the ball, he’s got wide-open shots from teammates, he’s finished. I think you’ve seen a lot of what he can do in this league.”
The other name on the marquee for the night: Bronny James, who also went scoreless after halftime. He finished with eight points on 2-of-8 shooting, but had some fun moments going at it with Flagg:
While the big names didn’t quite deliver as hoped, other players on both sides did plenty for themselves. The Lakers’ Cole Swider led all scorers with 22 points, while the Mavericks’ Ryan Nembhard looked like a pro in the making in a 21-point night.
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It’s unclear how many more Summer League games Flagg has ahead of him, considering there is little for him to prove at this point. The Mavericks have made clear they view him as a key piece of a playoff team, so they aren’t going to have him play exhibitions just for the sake of it.
Meanwhile, James and first-round pick Dalton Knecht both have plenty to prove in Summer League after seeing sporadic minutes last season for the Lakers. Their next game is Saturday against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Here’s how Cooper Flagg ‘s Lakers-Mavericks Summer League debut went on Yahoo Sports:
