Mavericks Select Cooper Flagg With No. 1 Overall Pick
As expected, the Mavericks have selected Duke forward Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NBA draft.
The consensus top prospect is coming off a wildly successful freshman season with the Blue Devils, having won numerous major awards, including ACC Player of the Year and AP Player of the Year, among several others.
Flagg was the driving force behind Duke’s 35-4 record and helped the team reach the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Houston, another No. 1 seed.
The 18-year-old combo forward stuffed the stat sheet all season, leading the stacked Blue Devils in points (19.2), rebounds (7.5), assists (4.2), steals (1.4) and blocks (1.4) per game, with a strong shooting line of .481/.385/.840. Flagg made 37 appearances in 2024/25, averaging 30.7 minutes per contest.
Dallas had just a 1.8% chance of claiming this year’s top pick, jumping up from No. 11 to No. 1 when the team won the draft lottery last month. It was the first time in 17 lottery appearances that the Mavericks ended up with a better pick than their odds dictated.
In addition to being viewed as the best prospect in his class, Flagg is also (at least) a year younger than many of his peers, having reclassified from 2026 — he won’t turn 19 until December 21.
The former Blue Devil star will join a Mavericks roster headlined by 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis and nine-time All-Star Kyrie Irving, who reached an agreement earlier this week on a new three-year contract to remain in Dallas.
Spurs Trade No. 38 Pick Kam Jones To Pacers
July 6: The trade is official, per an announcement from the Spurs (Twitter link). The draft rights to No. 38 pick Kam Jones have been sent to Indiana in exchange for Sacramento’s 2030 second-round pick and cash.
June 25: The Spurs have agreed to trade the No. 38 overall pick in this year’s draft to the Pacers in exchange for a future second-round pick and cash, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The pick headed to San Antonio is the Kings’ 2030 second-rounder, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
While the deal is the first reported first draft-night trade, it technically won’t even affect Wednesday’s results, since the Pacers won’t make their newly acquired No. 38 pick until Thursday.
San Antonio still holds a pair of lottery picks at No. 2 and No. 14, but Indiana previously traded away its own first-rounder and only controlled the No. 54 overall pick, so this will give them a second 2025 selection.
The fact that the Pacers are agreeing to this trade now instead of waiting to see who’s on the board suggests they’re not necessarily targeting a specific prospect at that spot.
For a team flirting with the luxury tax line, the ability to select a player at No. 38 and sign him to a rookie-minimum contract could be valuable, since that player’s cap hit (projected to be $1.27MM) would be $1MM+ less than the cap charge for a player on a veteran-minimum deal ($2.3MM). It’s also worth noting, as Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, that the No. 23 pick Indiana traded away last week would’ve carried a cap hit of roughly $3.2MM.
As Keith Smith of Spotrac notes (via Twitter), sending out cash will hard-cap the Pacers at the second tax apron for the 2025/26 league year.
Hawks Notes: Young, Draft, Porzingis, Lineups
Speaking with reporters Monday at a news conference, Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh dispelled any speculation that Trae Young might be on the trade market, according to Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Saleh spoke highly of the four-time All-Star and indicated that he’ll remain in his role as the team’s on-court leader.
“We’re locked in with Trae. We talked last year (about) next season,” Saleh said. “We’re just locked in the next season, ready to move forward and be the best team that we could possibly be moving forward. And I think a lot of his leadership from last season went probably unnoticed to the common eye. Like the way that he helped develop our young guys and make them better was significant. So I mean just continuing on with that and hopefully just making our team better.”
Young posted typically great numbers in his seventh season with Atlanta, averaging 24.2 PPG in 76 games, claiming his first assists title with 11.6 per night and recording .411/.340./.875 shooting splits. He has one year left on his contract at almost $46MM, along with a nearly $49MM player option for 2026/27.
Saleh also said that ownership has given him permission to go into the luxury tax, which might be necessary if the Hawks use a significant portion of the $25MM+ traded player exception they generated in last summer’s Dejounte Murray deal.
There’s more from Atlanta:
- The Hawks are parting with the 22nd pick in tonight’s draft as part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade, but Saleh is confident he can find help with the remaining selection at No. 13, Williams adds in the same piece. Saleh listed “competitiveness, toughness, resilience and adaptability” as the traits he looks for in prospects and said he concentrates more on finding the best player available than positional fit. “Ways to impact winning, I think, are just always important,” Saleh said. “Like, there’s skill sets that we probably would love to have, but at the same time, if somebody’s really good at something that impacts winning on either end of the court. That’s ultimately what we’re looking for, and that fits within the guys we currently have on our team.”
- The Porzingis deal is a signal that the Hawks are ready to make a strong move in the depleted Eastern Conference, states John Hollinger of The Athletic. Hollinger views Porzingis as the best pick-and-pop partner that Young has ever teamed up with, as well as a dangerous three-point option when Young and Jalen Johnson are running various actions. He also provides elite rim protection and should help improve a defense that ranked 19th in efficiency this season.
- The addition of Porzingis provides lineup flexibility, Williams notes in a separate story. He can either start at power forward alongside Onyeka Okongwu or he can be the center with Zaccharie Risacher remaining in the starting lineup.
Knicks Granted Permission To Interview James Borrego
The Knicks have received permission from the Pelicans to interview assistant James Borrego in their head coaching search, sources tell James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link). Edwards first reported New York’s interest in Borrego on Monday.
The 47-year-old Borrego has served as associate head coach under Willie Green in New Orleans for the past two seasons. He has previous head coaching experience, compiling a 138-163 record in four seasons with Charlotte and a 10-20 mark as an interim head coach with Orlando 10 years ago.
Borrego will become the fourth candidate to interview with the Knicks since Tom Thibodeau was fired after losing to Indiana in the Eastern Conference Finals. Borrego joins former Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins, former Sacramento head coach Mike Brown and current Minnesota assistant Micah Nori.
The Knicks are also reportedly monitoring Jason Kidd‘s situation in Dallas, although the Mavericks turned down their request to talk to Kidd about the position. Edwards stated Monday that Kidd seems to be a “long shot” to wind up in New York.
According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscription required), the Knicks are emphasizing player development as they seek a new head coach. Bondy adds that Heat assistant Chris Quinn is another potential candidate to watch, though there’s no indication New York has requested permission to speak to him yet.
John Collins Picks Up $26.5MM Player Option
Jazz big man John Collins has exercised his $26.5MM player option for next season, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). He faced a Thursday deadline for the decision, as our tracker shows.
Collins averaged 19.0 points and 8.2 rebounds this season, but he was limited to 40 games and didn’t return after suffering a left ankle sprain on March 12. Utah held out several veteran players late in the season to improve its lottery odds, so Collins may have been able to play under different circumstances.
The player option represents the final season of a five-year deal Collins signed in 2021 when he was still with the Hawks. Atlanta traded him to the Jazz in 2023, and he has been a consistent starter during his two seasons in Utah.
Trade speculation has been swirling around Collins and other Jazz players, and it’s likely to continue now that his status for next season is certain. His name was also frequently mentioned around February’s trade deadline, including a potential swap with Sacramento.
Collins and Lauri Markkanen ($46.4MM) will be Utah’s highest-paid players next season, and new president of basketball operations Austin Ainge may not want to spend so heavily on two power forwards. The results of tonight’s draft, where the Jazz hold picks No. 5, 21, 43 and 53, could also affect Collins’ future.
Collins, 27, was selected by Atlanta with the 19th pick in the 2017 draft. He has appeared in 472 total games and has career averages of 16.0 points and 8.1 rebounds in 30.5 minutes per night.
Fischer’s Latest: Sixers, Bailey, Edgecombe, Fears, Maluach, More
The Sixers are expected to make one last attempt to trade up to No. 2 for the chance to draft Dylan Harper, but it’s not likely to be successful, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). Fischer believes the Spurs have decided they want Harper to be part of their future and haven’t given serious consideration to parting with the pick.
Fischer adds that the most likely scenario is for the Sixers to stay at No. 3 unless there’s a sharp improvement in the offers from other teams. He also suggests that Ace Bailey remains in contention to be selected, even though he canceled a workout in Philadelphia and has sent out signals that he would rather be selected by a team that could offer guaranteed playing time and a larger role in the offense. Fischer still considers Bailey to be a strong fit alongside Joel Embiid and Paul George because of his shooting skills, but he acknowledges that V.J. Edgecombe is the “likely top contender” to go to Philadelphia.
If Bailey does get bypassed by the Sixers, Fischer doesn’t expect him to fall farther that the Wizards at No. 6. League sources tell him that Bailey declined a chance to work out for the Jazz, and it’s believed that he didn’t have an official visit with any of the lottery teams. Fischer points out that Washington meets Bailey’s requirements as a team that could offer “a healthy shot profile and on-ball creation opportunities.”
Fischer shares more inside information as the draft draws closer:
- The Nets are likely to pounce on point guard Jeremiah Fears if he’s still on the board at No. 8, Fischer states, noting that rumors of his preference for Brooklyn date back to the Draft Combine. Fears made visits to Utah and New Orleans, and Fischer believes his range appears to start with the fifth pick. Fischer also raises the possibility that the Nets could package some of the five first-rounders they have tonight to move up if they believe another team might select Fears.
- Fischer calls Khaman Maluach “the most consequential domino of the first round” apart from Bailey. He’s considered the top available big man, and Fischer notes that he helped himself with strong performances during the interview process. League sources tell Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports that the Pelicans are expected to try to trade up to land Bailey. If they’re unsuccessful, then Maluach could be their pick at No. 7 if he’s still on the board. O’Connor hears that some lottery teams have Maluach ranked in their top two or three and he’s considered “one of the most popular trade-up targets.”
- Fischer believes the Pelicans mark the start of Derik Queen‘s range if someone else takes Maluach, but he adds that the Spurs may try to trade up from No. 14 for the Duke center, while the Raptors at No. 9 also have him highly rated.
- Cedric Coward has been improving his status throughout the pre-draft process, and Fischer doesn’t expect him to fall past the teens. Sources tell Fischer that Coward has interest from the Trail Blazers at No. 11 and he has worked out multiple times for the Thunder, who hold the 15th pick. Fischer hears that the Nets are hoping to land Coward at No. 19, but they may need to trade up to have a chance.
- NCAA Tournament star Walter Clayton Jr. has “multiple suitors” in the early 20s, according to Fischer. He cites league insiders who believe Clayton and Jase Richardson could be targets for the Kings if they’re able to trade for a pick in that range.
- There’s an expectation that this will be an active trading night, possibly starting with the Sixers at No. 3 and the Hornets at No. 4. “There’s gonna be at least four or five (trades),” a Western Conference team strategist told Fischer.
Windhorst: Suns Asked For Darius Garland In Kevin Durant Trade Talks
The Suns contacted the Cavaliers about Darius Garland while trying to put together a Kevin Durant trade, NBA insider Brian Windhorst reported in a discussion with Chris Oldach of ESPN Cleveland (YouTube link).
Windhorst emphasizes that Phoenix initiated the trade talks, stating that Cleveland isn’t reaching out to teams in an effort to unload Garland. He adds that the Cavs’ response was to ask for Durant and “other assets” in a potential deal, which likely would have been “multiple first-round picks.” Presumably that would have included a 2029 first-rounder that originally belonged to Cleveland (though the Jazz now control swap rights on that first-rounder, so there’s no guarantee the Suns will end up with the Cavs’ pick).
Windhorst states that Phoenix “didn’t hang up the phone” when presented with that scenario. He also notes that the Cavaliers would have needed to offload salary before taking on Durant, stating that they contacted at least one team to see if there was interest.
Ultimately, the talks ended before getting serious because Durant didn’t want to play in Cleveland, according to Windhorst, who points out that the forward had a limited number of desired destinations, reportedly Houston, San Antonio and Miami.
Windhorst indicates that several teams in need of point guard help have made inquiries about Garland, who will make $39.5MM next season and is under contract through 2027/28. He also states that Garland “might have been on the verge of asking for a trade” last summer, but he’s now happy in Cleveland after putting together an All-Star season.
Windhorst expects the Cavs to make “an aggressive offer” to keep free agent guard Ty Jerome, which means Isaac Okoro or Dean Wade may have to be moved to clear up salary. He adds that the team won’t trade any of its stars to save money, but it will face difficult decisions while operating in second-apron territory.
Mavericks Reportedly Among Leaders For D’Angelo Russell
The Mavericks have emerged as a leading potential free agent destination for veteran guard D’Angelo Russell, sources inform Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
The Mavericks would likely only be able to offer Russell the NBA’s taxpayer mid-level exception, worth an estimated $5.7MM in 2025/26, given their current cap situation. Still, Dallas could give the Ohio State alum the opportunity to start at point guard until nine-time All-Star Kyrie Irving returns from his ACL tear.
While much could change this offseason, the Mavericks’ roster doesn’t project to be heavy on play-makers or backcourt depth even once Irving returns, so Russell would likely still be in line for significant run on a fully healthy Dallas team.
Splitting his 2024/25 season between the Lakers and Nets, the 29-year-old averaged 12.6 PPG, 5.1 APG and 2.8 RPG across 58 healthy games. His 39.0% mark on shots from the floor and 31.4% rate on three-point attempts were well below his stronger career shooting line of .427/.365/.796.
Dallas will be able to offer Russell or another free agent point guard more than the veteran’s minimum largely due to the fact that Irving’s new three-year, $119MM contract will feature a more team-friendly cap hit in 2025/26 than his now-declined $43MM player option, Stein observes.
Russell is one of several free agent point guards who has been linked to the Mavericks this week, along with fellow former All-Star Chris Paul, plus Dennis Schröder and Malcolm Brogdon. The Kings are rumored to be a leading suitor for Schröder.
Lakers Sale To Mark Walter Will Close This Year
New incoming Lakers majority owner Mark Walter will assume control of the franchise during the third or fourth quarter of 2025, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press reports.
An ownership group led by Walter is purchasing a significant portion of the Buss family’s 66% majority stake in the Lakers at a $10 billion valuation. Walter was already a minority shareholder in the franchise, having purchased a 27% stake in 2021 alongside Todd Boehly.
Current Los Angeles governor Jeanie Buss, who helped steer the franchise to a title in that role five years ago, will stay in that role – and will continue to oversee team day-to-day team operations – “for the foreseeable future,” the Lakers and Walter confirmed in a press statement addressing the sale.
“From the day our father [Dr. Jerry Buss] purchased the Lakers, we have been determined to deliver what the City of Los Angeles deserves and demands: a team that is committed to winning — relentlessly — and to doing so with passion and with style,” Jeanie Buss said. “I have gotten to know Mark very well over time and been delighted to learn how he shares those same values. For the last four years, Mark has been an excellent partner to us, and we are thrilled to keep working with him to continue the Lakers’ extraordinary legacy.”
Under the Buss family, the Lakers have won 11 championships.
The Chicago-based Walter also has stakes in the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Sparks, and other sports holdings.
“Since Dr. Jerry Buss first purchased the team in 1979, they have truly set the standard for basketball in one era after another, which is why you can find people anywhere in the world wearing Lakers shirts and jerseys,” Walter said.
Draft Rumors: Pelicans, Queen, Essengue, Raptors, Nets, Wolves
While Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN have the Pelicans selecting Duke center Khaman Maluach with the seventh overall pick in their latest mock draft ahead of Wednesday night’s event, there has been some 11th-hour buzz linking New Orleans to Derik Queen, Givony notes.
As Givony explains, new Pelicans executive Troy Weaver has “long-standing connections” to Baltimore- and D.C.-area prospects, and his son was a graduate assistant on Maryland’s coaching staff in 2024/25, so he had an opportunity to scout Queen extensively this past season.
New Pelicans head of basketball operations Joe Dumars recently indicated Weaver will play an important role in the team’s draft decisions, lauding the former Pistons GM for his “elite” ability to identify talent.
Here’s more on the 2025 NBA draft, with the first round just hours away:
- After flying across the Atlantic from Germany this week, French forward Noa Essengue initially traveled to Toronto for a “secret” private workout with the Raptors before heading on to New York for the draft, according to Givony. While it may be just a coincidence, when Essengue was asked on Tuesday which players he models his game after, he mentioned three current or former Raptors: Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam, and Kawhi Leonard (Twitter video link via Erik Slater of ClutchPoints).
- The Nets are signaling that they’re unlikely to move down from the No. 8 pick and aren’t opposed to the idea of using all five of their first-round picks tonight, given how many openings they’ll likely have on their roster, per Givony and Woo. Head coach Jordi Fernandez and Brooklyn’s coaching staff are also considered “friendly to the idea” of developing young talent, ESPN’s duo notes. Still, Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link) questions whether this leak is meant to improve the Nets’ leverage in trade talks involving some of those first-rounders.
- The Timberwolves have conveyed an openness to moving the No. 17 overall pick for future assets, depending on which prospects are on the board at that point, Givony reports.
- Like ESPN, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has updated his mock draft on Wednesday. Interestingly, the two sites have the exact same results through the top 13 picks before starting to deviate at No. 14.