After missing the 2024-25 playoffs, the Dallas Mavericks are preparing for the new season and welcoming a talented rookie who can change the game, the 2025 NBA No. 1 pick and Duke University star Cooper Flagg.

The Dallas Mavericks traded star player Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers during the offseason and performed poorly at the end of the season. However, the team was lucky enough to win the first pick in the NBA draft lottery and selected 18-year-old Flagg.

This talented forward from Newport, Maine, is hailed as one of the most promising players in recent years and is the fourth player in NCAA men's history to win the Naismith College Player of the Year Award in his freshman season.

Last season, Flagg led Duke University to an impressive record of 35 wins and 4 losses, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals per game, with a shooting percentage of 48.1% and a three-point shooting percentage of 38.5%. His comprehensive offensive and defensive performance has made the outside world have high hopes for him.

In the new season, Flagg will fight alongside Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson and Derrick Lively II to form a star-studded luxury lineup.

It's worth mentioning that Flagg has been a Boston Celtics fan since childhood. The NBA's recently released 2025-26 season schedule shows that the Dallas Mavericks will face the Boston Celtics twice in the final stages of the regular season: at home on February 3rd and in Boston again on March 6th.

These two games will not only be Flagg's first chance to play against his hometown team, but will also be a crucial test of his NBA acclimation and competitiveness. For the Dallas Mavericks, eager to return to the ranks of the NBA's elite, whether the top draft pick can quickly integrate into the system and deliver substantial improvement will directly impact the team's position in the playoff race.