How the Mavericks have rallied behind Cooper Flagg one year after the Luka Dončić trade
The notification flashed across screens in Dallas at an ungodly hour on February 2, 2025, severing a bond that was supposed to last a career. When General Manager Nico Harrison pulled the trigger on the blockbuster deal sending Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers, the immediate reaction in the Metroplex was a cocktail of shock, betrayal, and despair. One year later, the scar tissue from that "Midnight Trade" remains, but the Mavericks have found a new, albeit unexpected, heartbeat in rookie sensation Cooper Flagg.
The narrative of the last 365 days has shifted from the mourning of a superstar to the celebration of a miracle. After the trade, Dallas plummeted in the standings, securing a mere 1.8% chance at the top pick in the draft lottery. Against all odds, the ping-pong balls bounced their way, delivering the Duke phenom to a franchise in desperate need of a reset. While the team’s current 19-30 record suggests a roster still in transition, the atmosphere inside the American Airlines Center tells a different story.
Flagg has not just filled a roster spot; he has galvanized a broken culture. His recent 30-point, 10-rebound, 5-assist explosion against the Houston Rockets—making him the first teenager since Dončić to post such a line—served as a violent notice to the league that Dallas did not die with the trade. While the return package for Dončić has been underwhelming, with Anthony Davis battling nagging injuries and Max Christie struggling to find consistency, Flagg has shouldered the burden of franchise savior with a maturity that belies his age.
Head Coach Jason Kidd has wasted no time handing the keys to the rookie, praising Flagg’s two-way versatility as the engine of the team’s new identity. The trade that sent a generational talent to Los Angeles will always be debated, especially as Dončić chases rings in purple and gold. However, as the Mavericks rally around their new young star, the bitterness of February 2025 is slowly being replaced by the electric promise of the Flagg era. The gamble was historic, but in Cooper Flagg, Dallas believes they have found the one player capable of making it pay off.
The narrative of the last 365 days has shifted from the mourning of a superstar to the celebration of a miracle. After the trade, Dallas plummeted in the standings, securing a mere 1.8% chance at the top pick in the draft lottery. Against all odds, the ping-pong balls bounced their way, delivering the Duke phenom to a franchise in desperate need of a reset. While the team’s current 19-30 record suggests a roster still in transition, the atmosphere inside the American Airlines Center tells a different story.
Flagg has not just filled a roster spot; he has galvanized a broken culture. His recent 30-point, 10-rebound, 5-assist explosion against the Houston Rockets—making him the first teenager since Dončić to post such a line—served as a violent notice to the league that Dallas did not die with the trade. While the return package for Dončić has been underwhelming, with Anthony Davis battling nagging injuries and Max Christie struggling to find consistency, Flagg has shouldered the burden of franchise savior with a maturity that belies his age.
Head Coach Jason Kidd has wasted no time handing the keys to the rookie, praising Flagg’s two-way versatility as the engine of the team’s new identity. The trade that sent a generational talent to Los Angeles will always be debated, especially as Dončić chases rings in purple and gold. However, as the Mavericks rally around their new young star, the bitterness of February 2025 is slowly being replaced by the electric promise of the Flagg era. The gamble was historic, but in Cooper Flagg, Dallas believes they have found the one player capable of making it pay off.
