Just a year after making the 2024 NBA Finals, the Dallas Mavericks franchise looks unrecognizable due to a plethora of reasons.
Be it the shocking Luka Doncic trade or Kyrie Irving’s injury, the 2024-25 NBA season was a campaign that the Dallas Mavericks fanbase will likely want to erase from memory.
While that’s not possible, getting the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft certainly helps in making the fans happy.
Luckily, the Mavs have a clear choice in Cooper Flagg to be selected as the first overall pick. But did it mean that the franchise didn’t even invite other top prospects to pre-draft workouts? Precisely, yes.
Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty ImagesDallas Mavericks’ utmost priority was to avoid sending a ‘wrong message’ to Cooper Flagg
Duke’s Flagg is a cut from a different cloth as he has reigned supreme even in our latest NBA mock draft ahead of the real thing.
Most believe that Rutgers’ Dylan Harper is undoubtedly the second-best prospect in the class. Usually, a player of Harper’s caliber earns a draft workout with the top teams.
However, according to NBA insider Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson, the Mavericks didn’t even invite Harper in for a pre-draft workout. Why? To ensure Flagg doesn’t feel disrespected.
“Harper was never seriously considered for Dallas. That’s not a knock on him. The Mavericks were just laser-focused on Flagg, and they didn’t want to send the wrong message by even entertaining another player at the top,” an NBA executive told Scoop B.
For what it’s worth, if the Mavs somehow fumble drafting Flagg, it would be yet another stain on the new ownership. So, as they say, better safe than sorry.
Best to give undivided attention to Flagg, who recently had a phenomenal pre-draft workout as the Mavs look forward to adding the beast to the team.
Not first, but Dylan Harper seems destined to be drafted at the second spot
Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images
The Mavs didn’t want Harper? Fair. One would assume that the son of ex-NBA veteran Ron Harper would conduct workouts with several teams ahead of the draft.
Well, according to Scoop B, that’s not the case as Harper has reportedly only met with the San Antonio Spurs. For context, the Spurs have the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.
“He didn’t need to do the full tour. He’s confident in his stock. He knows who’s watching. Sometimes less is more,” another source told Robinson.
To be fair, Harper seems confident in his skills to be picked at the second spot. It’s certainly better than what Ace Bailey did with the Philadelphia 76ers.
If this report is to be believed, it also shuts down the rumors about the Spurs potentially using the second pick to trade for Kevin Durant.
Honestly, drafting Harper aligns much better with Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs’ timeline than going all-in for KD.