Dallas Mavericks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mavs’ Kidd Talks No. 1 Pick, Flagg, Doncic Trade

May 17th, 2025 at 2:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on The Dan Patrick Show this week (YouTube link), Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd admitted he wasn’t watching Monday’s draft lottery live and said he thought there was a “1” missing when he received text messages telling him that Dallas would be drafting in the top four and then that the team had secured the No. 1 overall pick.

“I just felt we were going to stay around 11, if not go backwards, the way things were going for us this year,” Kidd said (hat tip to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal).

Asked by Patrick whether the Mavs plan to use the No. 1 overall pick to select Duke’s Cooper Flagg, the consensus top prospect in this year’s draft pool, Kidd was hesitant to outright confirm as much or to discuss Flagg directly, explaining that he’s trying “to make sure we don’t get in any trouble.”

When Patrick asked if the NBA would be fine with him commenting on “the kid from Duke,” the Mavs’ coach smiled and replied, “We’re excited about the kid at Duke.”

“I’m just the coach (but) yes, I would say we’re all concentrating on No. 1,” Kidd said. “The draft is deep, but the name you just brought up, I think we’re all focused on.”

If the lottery outcome had been different, Flagg could have ended up as the centerpiece for a rebuilding club like Utah or Washington. Instead, he’ll be joining a team with championship aspirations led by veterans like Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson. Kidd believes it’ll be an ideal situation for the No. 1 pick.

“He’ll be 18. He doesn’t turn 19 until December, and so just understanding he’s young, but he’s very talented, can play both ends,” Kidd said. “Being able to have older players—and when I say that, out of respect, they’re not dinosaurs—but when you look at the age of 30, Ky, AD, guys that are here, Klay could definitely help him with the process of going through a rookie season.

“… I think this is a great situation for him,” Kidd continued. “(Considering) the different guys that we have already on the team, the pressure of living up to No. 1 will be a lot easier with the talent around him. When you talk about the other clubs (he could’ve ended up with), he would have to produce right away at a high, high level. I think this is a great situation for him to grow his game, where the pressure isn’t as high. But we are playing for a championship.”

Kidd also spoke to Patrick about how he learned about – and reacted to – the Luka Doncic trade in February, explaining that when he got that call from general manager Nico Harrison at a hotel in Cleveland, he immediately began considering how the star guard’s departure and the additions of Davis and Max Christie would affect the Mavericks’ game plan.

According to Kidd, the day of the trade was the last time he spoke to Doncic. Having been unexpectedly traded himself as a player, the Mavs’ head coach knew some of what the 26-year-old was going through.

“I don’t think he was too happy. From the experience of being traded, maybe being surprised, upset, feelings are high,” Kidd said (hat tip to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops). “But I loved the opportunity of coaching Luka. He’s an incredible person, and we all know his talent is one of the best in the world. … I’ve always said this publicly and privately: I wish Luka the best. He’s one of the best players in the world.”

Lakers Notes: Reaves, Offseason, Centers, Streit, Draft

May 17th, 2025 at 12:19pm CST by Rory Maher

There has been speculation that the Lakers might look to trade Austin Reaves this summer to address the team’s needs on the wing and/or frontcourt. He struggled in the Lakers’ first-round loss to Minnesota after a strong regular season and is on a below-market-value contract, which could make it tricky to extend him prior to 2026 free agency — he’s considered likely to decline his $14.9MM player option for 2026/27, per Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group.

However, president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka made it clear that the Lakers highly value the shooting guard when he referred to Reaves as one of the team’s three pillars, alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James, Price writes.

“When your foundation for those three players is that they’re players of high character and a highly competitive nature, that’s the perfect starting point, to have three players like that,” Pelinka responded when asked about the benefit of having training camp ahead of the 2025/26 season.

“LeBron (is) a selfless player, high character. All he cares about is winning. Luka Doncic, the same. Austin Reaves, the same. When you get those three pillars in a training camp environment and you’re starting to build an ethos around them, that’s a great starting point.”

Here’s more on the Lakers:

In a subscriber-only column for The Los Angeles Times, Bill Plaschke explains why he believes it’s in the team’s best interest to trade Reaves for a center, despite the impressive strides he’s made over the years. Plaschke is a big fan of Reaves’ game, toughness and story, but says his skill set isn’t an ideal complement for Doncic and argues he’s the team’s best remaining trade chip outside of Doncic and James, who aren’t going anywhere. If they want to make a major upgrade in the middle, moving Reaves is the Lakers’ best option to do so, Plaschke contends.
The Lakers were at the center of attention last spring and summer amid a coaching change, but there hasn’t been much buzz about them this offseason, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times (subscriber link). According to Woike, the Lakers have shown “no interest” in trading Reaves unless they receive a “top-tier” big man in return, and there aren’t any centers like that on the market right now. Nic Claxton of the Nets and Daniel Gafford of the Mavericks have been linked to the Lakers, Woike notes, but neither is an elite center or a lock to be heading to L.A., for various reasons.
The Lakers parted ways with strength coach Ed Streit last week, people with knowledge of the situation tell Woike. Streit, whom Woike describes as a “well-liked” member of the franchise, was initially hired as an assistant strength coach in 2019 before being promoted in 2021.
Los Angeles controls the 55th pick in next month’s draft. LZ Granderson of The Los Angeles Times (subscription required) would like to see the Lakers draft a mature, experienced center prospect with their lone selection.

2025 NBA Draft Picks By Team

May 16th, 2025 at 1:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets and Jazz were among the teams who left Monday’s draft lottery disappointed, as Brooklyn slipped two spots to No. 8 while Utah, the NBA’s worst team during the 2024/25 season, ended up at No. 6.

Still, while they won’t be picking as high in the lottery as they might like, the Nets and Jazz will enter this year’s draft armed with plenty of ammunition. Brooklyn controls a league-high five 2025 draft picks, including four first-rounders and an early second-rounder. Utah, meanwhile, is one of just two teams (along with the Magic) controlling four picks in this year’s draft, including a pair of first-rounders.

Four other clubs – the Spurs, Hornets, Wizards, and Thunder – own three picks apiece, so those seven teams combine to control 25 of the 59 selections in the 2025 draft.

In addition to those teams with three or more picks, 12 more clubs own a pair of 2025 draft selections, while another 10 control one apiece. That latter group includes the Mavericks, whose No. 1 overall pick is their only selection in this year’s draft.

That leaves just a single NBA team without a draft pick this year: the Nuggets. Denver traded its 2025 first-rounder to Orlando back in 2021 as part of a package for Aaron Gordon in a deal that has worked out exceedingly well for the 2023 champions and sent out its 2025 second-rounder last offseason in a Reggie Jackson salary-dump. The Nuggets could still trade into this draft, but for now they’re the only team on track to sit it out.

To present a clearer picture of which teams are most – and least – stocked with picks for the 2025 NBA draft, we’ve rounded up all 59 selections by team in the space below. Let’s dive in…

Teams with more than two picks:

Brooklyn Nets (5): 8, 19, 26, 27, 36
Utah Jazz (4): 5, 21, 43, 53
Orlando Magic (4): 16, 25, 46, 57
San Antonio Spurs (3): 2, 14, 38
Charlotte Hornets (3): 4, 33, 34
Washington Wizards (3): 6, 18, 40
Oklahoma City Thunder (3): 15, 24, 44

Teams with two picks:

Philadelphia 76ers: 3, 35
Toronto Raptors: 9, 39
Houston Rockets: 10, 59
Chicago Bulls: 12, 45
Atlanta Hawks: 13, 22
Minnesota Timberwolves: 17, 31
Indiana Pacers: 23, 54
Boston Celtics: 28, 32
Phoenix Suns: 29, 52
Los Angeles Clippers: 30, 51
Memphis Grizzlies: 48, 56
Cleveland Cavaliers: 49, 58

Teams with one pick:

Dallas Mavericks: 1
New Orleans Pelicans: 7
Portland Trail Blazers: 11
Miami Heat: 20
Detroit Pistons: 37
Golden State Warriors: 41
Sacramento Kings: 42
Milwaukee Bucks: 47
New York Knicks: 50
Los Angeles Lakers: 55

Teams with no picks:

Denver Nuggets

Southwest Notes: Mavs, Flagg, Spurs, Harper, Pelicans

May 15th, 2025 at 7:16pm CST by Earnest Marshall

The Mavericks realize how fortunate they are to have won Monday’s draft lottery that all but guaranteed Cooper Flagg will land in Dallas. According to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (subscriber link), CEO Rick Welts said the business staff received an overwhelming number of ticket and sponsor requests shortly after winning the lottery.

“In the past 24 hours alone,” Welts said earlier in the week, “we’ve had 28 times more inbound calls for season tickets and 35 times more daily additions to the season-ticket waitlist. Also, six times more inbound sponsorship communications from brands and prospective clients.”

According to Jonathan Givony of ESPN, Flagg also understands how great a situation Dallas can be for him and is excited about the prospect of joining a playoff-caliber roster and getting the chance to be a significant part of the offensive scheme.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

After the shocking Luka Doncic trade in February sent uproars throughout the Mavericks fanbase, winning the lottery gives those same fans a reason to be hopeful, Christian Clark of The Athletic writes. In a similar story, Mark Medina of Athlon Sports writes that Flagg can help the Mavericks jump back into contention in year one.
After landing the second overall pick in the lottery, the Spurs appear primed to select Rutgers guard Dylan Harper. He spoke about the chance of playing alongside ball-dominant players like De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, according to San Antonio Express-News’ Tom Orsborn (Twitter link). “The NBA is really positionless basketball, so I mean you could play with a bunch of ball-handlers and a bunch of people that could get opportunities for themselves, but let other people get opportunities for them,” Harper said.
After finishing with the fourth-worst record in the league, the Pelicans fell three spots in the draft lottery to No. 7. Rod Walker of NOLA.com analyzes seven prospects who could make sense for New Orleans after the lottery didn’t go their way. Walker writes that Duke’s Kon Knueppel would be his pick at No. 7 if he had to choose a favorite, given the spacing that he would add. Another intriguing pick could be South Carolina’s Collin Murray-Boyles, whom new basketball operations head Joe Dumars might favor due to his toughness.

Cooper Flagg Comments On Fit With Mavericks

May 14th, 2025 at 6:19pm CST by Arthur Hill

Cooper Flagg, who’s almost certainly headed to the Mavericks after the surprising results of Monday’s lottery, commented on the process for the first time today at the draft combine in Chicago, according to Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal (subscription required).

“I’m grateful to get this opportunity, or any opportunity to hear my name called on draft night,” Flagg said. “I’m just really excited for this whole experience. Not everybody gets to go through this, so I just feel really blessed. As far as Dallas goes, they’ve got a lot of really good pieces.”

Flagg was the consensus No. 1 pick in this year’s draft even before he arrived at Duke. He solidified that status with an outstanding freshman season, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 48.1% from the field and 38.5% from beyond the arc. He led the Blue Devils to a 35-4 record and a spot in the Final Four.

With Utah, Washington and Charlotte holding the best odds coming into the lottery, Flagg could have easily ended up in a rebuilding situation. Instead, he joins a Dallas team with a strong veteran core in Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington.

Flagg is excited to be teaming up with another Duke alum, Dereck Lively, who was drafted by the Mavericks two years ago.

“To be able to learn from D-Live — that’s pretty cool,” Flagg said. “So I think it would be a really cool opportunity.”

Flagg was in the audience as the envelopes were opened Monday night, attending the event with Duke teammate Kon Knueppel, another likely lottery pick. Flagg didn’t directly address the results, which came down to Dallas, San Antonio, Philadelphia and Charlotte as the four finalists, but he indicated some surprise at the outcome.

“It was a crazy draft lottery,” he said. “It was a cool experience to be there and go through that experience.”

Flagg isn’t expected to do much at the combine outside of the mandatory measurements and testing. Afseth reports that he measured 6 feet, 7.75 inches without shoes with a wingspan of 7 feet and a standing reach of 8 feet, 10.5 inches. He weighs 221 pounds and recorded a 40-inch vertical leap.

It’s unlikely that Flagg will work out for any teams other than Dallas, so his schedule will be relatively light until the first round of the draft on June 25. He says his approach to his rookie season would have been the same no matter which team won the right to draft him.

“Wherever it is, I’m just gonna try and be me to the best of my ability,” Flagg said. “Try to do whatever the team needs — play both sides of the ball and just play really hard in every single possession.”

Scotto’s Latest: Gafford, Huerter, Jazz, Boozer, Giddey, More

May 14th, 2025 at 3:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Looking ahead to the 2025 offseason trade market, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype identifies Daniel Gafford as a possible trade candidate to watch if the Mavericks and the veteran big man are unable to come to terms on a contract extension.

While Gafford has been a key rotation player over the last season-and-a-half in Dallas, he doesn’t project to be a starter as long as Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively are healthy, and his expiring $14.4MM contract could be a useful salary-matching piece as the Mavericks shop for backcourt help this summer.

Scotto also notes that Bulls wing Kevin Huerter drew some interest from the Jazz after being acquired by Chicago at this year’s trade deadline. The Kings were known to have explored the possibility of a John Collins trade before making their De’Aaron Fox deal, so Huerter likely came up in those talks with Utah. However, Scotto’s wording suggests the Jazz still had interest in Huerter after Sacramento agreed to send him to the Bulls.

It’s unclear if the Jazz will circle back to Huerter this summer or if their interest was solely about acquiring another asset that would’ve been attached to the veteran’s unwanted contract.

Here are several more highlights from Scotto’s latest rumor round-up:

Carlos Boozer, who earned two All-Star berths with the Jazz during his playing career, has been around the team at the draft combine in Chicago this week and is expected to be hired by Utah as a scout, league sources tell HoopsHype.
According to Scotto, there’s still a belief around the NBA that Bulls restricted free agent Josh Giddey will be seeking a five-year, $150MM contract this summer, similar to the one Jalen Suggs signed with Orlando last fall. That was Giddey’s reported asking price last October as well.
While David Griffin wanted to hang onto Kelly Olynyk and re-sign Bruce Brown, it’s unclear how new Pelicans head of basketball operations Joe Dumars feels about that veteran duo, Scotto writes. There’s a similar situation at work in Atlanta, where there was an expectation prior to Landry Fields‘ dismissal that the Hawks would try to re-sign Larry Nance Jr. and Caris LeVert while letting go of Clint Capela. It’s not yet known if that will still be the plan for the new-look front office, Scotto notes.
Sixers assistant Coby Karl isn’t expected to return to Nick Nurse‘s coaching staff next season, Scotto reports.

Mavs Intend To Keep No. 1 Pick, Draft Cooper Flagg

May 13th, 2025 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Since the Mavericks‘ unlikely lottery win on Monday night, there has been speculation about the possibility of the front office – which clearly isn’t shy about taking big swings – including the No. 1 overall pick in a trade for a proven superstar such as Giannis Antetokounmpo.

However, that’s not the plan in Dallas, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, who hears from sources that the Mavericks intend to use the pick to draft consensus top prospect Cooper Flagg and won’t entertain the idea of trading it. Marc Stein (Twitter link) has heard the same thing from a source with knowledge of the team’s thinking.

According to MacMahon, Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont considers it a “gift” to get the opportunity to draft a prospect like Flagg. The possibility of re-gifting the Duke star to another team isn’t under consideration, says MacMahon, noting that Dumont has given general manager Nico Harrison leeway to run the front office but still has the final say on all basketball decisions.

As MacMahon points out, the decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Lakers in February resulted in “significant business concerns” for the Mavericks, in addition to creating a murky long-term outlook for a franchise that has traded away control of its own first-round picks from 2027-30. Being able to add Flagg to Dallas’ core would go a long way toward mitigating both of those concerns, MacMahon writes.

Flagg will be joining a Mavs roster headlined by Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Dereck Lively, and P.J. Washington.

As fortunate as Dallas is to be in position to bring aboard a talent like Flagg, there’s still plenty of work to be done on the roster this summer. With Irving expected to miss a significant chunk of the season while he recovers from a torn ACL, the team is short on ball-handling and play-making and will be looking to upgrade its backcourt.

Draft Lottery Notes: Spurs, Sixers, Mavs, Nets, Hornets, More

May 13th, 2025 at 1:53pm CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of last night’s eventful NBA draft lottery, a series of draft experts – including ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports, and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic – have updated their 2025 mocks.

A common theme has emerged in those mock drafts, with ESPN’s duo, O’Connor, and Vecenie questioning the fit of certain players who are expected to come off the board right after Cooper Flagg at No. 1. Rutgers’ Dylan Harper, for instance, has long been viewed as the consensus No. 2 in this year’s draft pool, but he’s not exactly a clean fit for the Spurs next to guards Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox.

The Sixers, meanwhile, could add a one-and-done prospect like Harper’s former Rutgers teammate Ace Bailey, but the 18-year-old guard/forward – considered by many pundits to be the third-best player in this year’s draft – is viewed as more of a long-term project who may not fit into Philadelphia’s win-now plans.

In other words, John Hollinger of The Athletic writes, the unexpected results of Monday’s lottery have opened the door for some tantalizing offseason trade possibilities. With the Mavericks, San Antonio, and Philadelphia all closer to contention than is typical for teams at the top of the draft, could Dallas or the Spurs consider using their pick in a package for a superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo? Could the 76ers trade down, or perhaps even swing for a star themselves by attaching Paul George to the No. 3 pick and a couple future first-rounders?

As Hollinger notes, there’s some intrigue further down the lottery as well, where teams like the Pelicans and Rockets don’t necessarily need to add rookies to their roster and might consider shopping their picks at No. 7 and 10, respectively. Hollinger also suggests that the Trail Blazers could look into putting the No. 11 pick in a package to improve the trade value of a veteran like Jerami Grant or Deandre Ayton.

Here’s more on the heels of Monday’s shocking draft lottery:

Rival teams view the Nets as a team to monitor for a possible trade up in the draft, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). As Fischer explains, the Nets have three additional first-round picks this year (at No. 19, 26, and 27) on top of their lottery pick at No. 8 and have an excess of future first-rounders as well. They also lack a blue-chip prospect to build around.
Several of the media members who were in the lottery drawing room on Monday, including Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News, Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer, and Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Substack link), have published stories from behind the scenes. As Boone writes, although Charlotte dropped one spot from their pre-lottery rank, Hornets governor Rick Schnall was relieved his team will be picking in the top four. “We are obviously disappointed we didn’t get the No. 1, but it could be a lot worse,” Schnall said. “I thought (for a minute) we were going to be seventh. But we are going to get a good player.”
Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune, who was also in attendance for the drawing, responds to conspiracy theories about the lottery being rigged by explaining why he believes that’s very unlikely.
With many fans displeased about the outcome of Monday’s lottery and questioning whether the event is above board, Michael McCann of Sportico digs into why a lottery determines the NBA’s draft order at all, exploring other ways the league could distribute talent and explaining why those alternatives wouldn’t necessarily be any better.
A series of ESPN’s NBA reporters takes a look at the biggest question facing each of the 13 teams in the lottery after Monday’s results.

Mavs Rejoice After Getting Top Pick

May 12th, 2025 at 9:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks recently completed what CEO Rick Welts summed up as a “tumultuous” season. Dallas is now celebrating its unlikely lottery luck, moving up from No. 11 to the top pick.

“Just looking at that potential roster and thinking about what could happen next season, it’s a reversal of fortunes that’s really unimaginable,” Welts said, per Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link).

Dropping Cooper Flagg into a Mavericks lineup that includes Anthony Davis and, when he recovers from his knee injury, Kyrie Irving, gives the franchise real hope of a championship in the coming seasons. All this after the firestorm created by the controversial Luka Doncic trade with the Lakers.

“I am so happy for Mavericks fans,” Welts said, per ESPN’s Michael C. Wright and Jonathan Givony. “I only got to Dallas Jan. 1 this year. Feb. 1, we broke the internet [with the Doncic trade]. I am just amazed at the depth of emotion and connection that the fan base has with this team. And what happened today, I can’t imagine a better day for Mavs fans. It’s going to really be something special. I can’t wait to get back to Dallas.”

Welts all but declared Flagg to be the team’s choice next month.

“I don’t know who we’re going to take, but should we take him, I think his résumé is pretty strong,” Welts said of the Duke star forward. “Every time he’s put in a situation that everyone wondered if he could succeed, he’s succeeded and then some.”

The Mavs’ head coach is eager to see what the team looks like with a star like Flagg added to the mix.

“Incredible day for the Mavericks,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd told Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link). “We are all so excited.”

Flagg didn’t talk specifically about joining the Mavs but he indicated he’d fit right in with a team that has put a premium on two-way players. Doncic’s defensive issues was one of the reasons general manager Nico Harrison was willing to deal him.

“Being a two-way player is something I’ve done since I was a little kid, so I’m just going to keep doing that to the best of my ability,” he said, per Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal.

Welts, who worked for the league from 1982-1999, knows all about conspiracy theories involving the lottery. He heard quite a bit about that during the 1985 lottery, won by the Knicks.

“I’m the only person who was in this room and the room 40 years ago. I was in charge of the NBA draft lottery 40 years ago when Patrick Ewing won,” Welts said. “I’ve been doing conspiracy theory stories ever since. This is very surreal, personally.”

Southwest Notes: Williamson, Mavs, Whitmore, Sheppard, Spurs

May 12th, 2025 at 7:14pm CST by Dana Gauruder

It may not seem like a big deal but the fact that Zion Williamson represented the Pelicans at the draft lottery may have important implications, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack post.

That’s not the sort of role you ask a star player to take on if you’re looking to trade him, Stein notes. There has been been plenty of speculation regarding Williamson’s status within the organization, particularly after ownership overhauled the front office and put Joe Dumars in the lead executive role.

The Pelicans wound up dropping to the No. 7 pick in the draft following the lottery results.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

With Kyrie Irving on the mend, the Mavericks will likely need two point guards to stabilize that position for next season, according to Yossi Gozlan of ThirdApron.com (Substack link). One of those players will likely have to be acquired via trade. Of course, their lottery luck alters their outlook dramatically. As Gozlan tweets, they’ll now have a loaded cap sheet but they’ll be active this summer. Gozlan held an in-depth discussion with Dallas beat writer Grant Afseth that was posted on YouTube.
It’s fair to wonder where Cam Whitmore and Reed Sheppard stand in terms of the Rockets’ long-term plans, considering their spotty playing time this season. Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle points out that Whitmore, the No. 20 overall pick in 2023, played in 51 games but averaged fewer minutes per night in his second season (16.2) than he did as a rookie (18.7). Sheppard, last year’s No. 3 overall pick, appeared in 52 games and averaged 12.6 MPG.
The Spurs hold the second and 14th picks in the aftermath of the draft lottery. LJ Ellis of SpursTalk.com reveals his first big board of picks 1-14 for the team, which includes some surprises.