Cooper Flagg is obvious, which is why the Dallas Mavericks could make a mistake.

Apparently, the Dallas Mavericks are all but ready to make it official: Cooper Flagg is their guy.

According to numerous reports, including from Hoops HQ, the Mavs have made it clear they plan to use the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on the 18 year old phenom. “We are 100 percent drafting Cooper Flagg. There will be no trades for our pick on draft night,” sources from within the organization reportedly told the outlet.

Well, that seems pretty definitive.

Flagg, who just finished a standout freshman year at Duke, is the reigning National Player of the Year. He led the Blue Devils to the Final Four while putting up impressive numbers: 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game. At nearly 6 foot 8 and 221 pounds, Flagg offers elite athleticism, shooting touch, defensive versatility, and big-time confidence in pressure moments. There’s really nothing in his game that would suggest he’s not worthy of the top pick.

But let’s not forget this is the Mavericks. If GM Nico Harrison would consider trading Luka Dončić, there’s no reason to think the No. 1 pick is completely off-limits. It’s Harrison’s job to weigh every possible move to improve the team, even if that means dealing the pick.

And with veterans like Kyrie Irving (33) and Anthony Davis (32) leading the team, is a teenage rookie really the best path to winning a title in their window? After all, Flagg was barely out of preschool when Kyrie won Rookie of the Year in 2012.