Cooper Flagg, the presumed 2025 number one pick, is only visiting the Mavericks in the lead-up to the draft, reports Mark Medina of RG in an interview with Flagg’s trainer, Matt MacKenzie.
“He’ll be able to tour their facilities and learn about the organization as a whole. So it’s something he’s definitely looking forward to. It’s the only team he’s going to go visit. He’s very excited for it,” MacKenzie says.
MacKenzie also confirms that Flagg’s workouts have included, at times, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul. Durant had less one-on-one interaction with Flagg directly, and primarily involved watching Durant work out, while Paul imparted advice primarily on how to adjust to the non-basketball side of the game.
“I think Chris Paul has been really helpful in sharing the different things that you need to be aware of when you’re coming into the league as a rookie in terms of how to manage your time off the court. During your downtime, you need to make sure you’re also treating your recovery with importance and understanding that 82 games is a long season… Being able to get that input has been incredibly valuable.”
Lauded for his versatile skillset, MacKenzie relays that Flagg’s workouts are meant to prepare him for any and every role that his next team will ask him to play.
We have more news from around the Southwest Division:
- Despite a roster crunch and uncertain roles moving forward, it’s unlikely that the Rockets put one of Tari Eason or Jabari Smith Jr. on the trade block this summer, writes Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle. In her mailbag, Lerner writes that it’s more likely that they have to decide between extending one or both of them and then reevaluating next year. Lerner also doubts that the Rockets will make a move for the Nets’ Cameron Johnson, both for salary cap reasons and because she views the defensive drop-off from Dillon Brooks to Johnson as something Houston would be wary of.
- This is a big offseason for the Rockets, Keith Smith writes in his Spotrac offseason preview. While there has been talk about continuing to patiently build around the young core, there’s a sense that the team’s success last season has led them to consider fast-tracking the process. Deciding whether to keep, extend, or either trade Fred VanVleet or let him walk will be a crucial part of their summer, as will their ability to pull off a Kevin Durant trade. Smith writes that trying to retain Steven Adams should also be a high priority, as he was a pivotal part of their playoff run and proved to be a very effective backup.
- The Pelicans have struggled at times to find the right balance of players to put around Zion Williamson, writes William Guillory for The Athletic. That includes finding an answer at the center position, which is why Guillory looks at whether it would make sense for New Orleans to target Khaman Maluach with the seventh pick in the 2025 draft. This offseason is the first with Joe Dumars as the top decisionmaker, and will tell the league much about how he plans to proceed with shaping the roster. Guillory mentions that the team found success using double-big lineups featuring Kelly Olynyk and rookie big Yves Missi last season, but it’s unlikely that Missi and Maluach could play together unless the Duke center enters the league much more advanced as a shooter than expected.