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Mavericks, Cooper Flagg turn heads in Summer League debut

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Original Story by The Sporting News
July 11, 2025
Mavericks, Cooper Flagg turn heads in Summer League debut

Cooper Flagg made his Summer League debut for the Dallas Mavericks in Thursday’s 87-85 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. While his performance didn’t quite live up to his usual standards, the game drew widespread attention. 

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft squared off against Bronny James in the highly anticipated Summer League matchup. Flagg finished with 10 points (5-21 FG, 0-5 3Pt, 0-1 FT), six rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block across 32 minutes. 

Flagg’s stat line didn’t necessarily jump off the page, but the viewership numbers did. According to ESPN, the matchup was the fourth-most watched Summer League game ever, averaging 955,000 viewers and peaking at 1.12 million. 

MORE: Mavericks assistant coach praises No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg 

Much of the buzz centered on Flagg, who made history during his lone season at Duke by becoming just the fourth freshman in NCAA men’s history to earn Naismith College Player of the Year honors. He averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals per game in 37 appearances, shooting 48.1 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from beyond the arc.  

Flagg’s two-way versatility and superstar upside made him a near lock for the No. 1 overall pick well before the NBA Draft. Now, he’ll look to bring that same impact to a star-studded Mavericks roster featuring Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson. 

Dallas now prepares to face off against the Spurs on Saturday, where Flagg could share the court with No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper in another marquee Summer League matchup.

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