Jason Kidd Jokes Mavs 'Love That Kid from Duke' amid Cooper Flagg, NBA Draft 2025 Buzz
Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd looking forward to adding a young talent with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, and it sounds like he already knows who the team is eyeing.
During an appearance on DLLS Mavs, Kidd was asked who he expects to be picked first in the draft and he responded, "We love that kid from Duke," likely referring to star freshman Cooper Flagg.
Kidd refused to identify any player by name, as he was even coy when he referred to Rutgers prospects Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey.
"Been studying him a little bit, so that's the real answer," Kidd said of the Duke prospect. "This draft is really talented, you have some young men from [Rutgers], so it's exciting. But right now, I'm studying the young man that used to play at Duke."
Of course, Flagg isn't the only talented player from the Blue Devils in this year's draft class. Center Khaman Maluach and guard Kon Knueppel were also projected to be lottery picks in the latest mock draft released by ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo on Monday.
However, all signs point to Flagg being the No. 1 pick for Dallas, which had just a 1.8 percent chance to even win the draft lottery. ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported last week that the Mavs will not trade the pick and plan to select Flagg.
Unlike most No. 1 picks, Flagg will be joining a franchise that is ready to compete for an NBA title immediately. He will have a key role as a rookie alongside Mavs star big man Anthony Davis, and the eventual return of star point guard Kyrie Irving from his torn ACL will also give him the chance to thrive on a contending team.
