It’s almost Flagg Day in Dallas.
With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft, the Dallas Mavericks are widely expected to select Duke’s Cooper Flagg. After enduring a challenging stretch in recent months, Mavericks fans should have plenty to celebrate when the draft kicks off Wednesday night.
Flagg won’t be the only name to watch in this year’s event, as Dallas-area products like Texas’ Tre Johnson and UConn’s Liam McNeeley could hear their names called early.
Here’s what fans should know ahead of the 2025 NBA draft:
Mavericks
How to watch the 2025 NBA draft
When: First-round coverage starts at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The second round will be aired at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Where: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York
Channel: ABC and ESPN (Note: Round 2 will only be aired on ESPN)
Streaming: ESPN App, any streaming service that carries ABC or ESPN
Get to know Cooper Flagg, the presumptive No. 1 pick
Barring any wild surprises, Flagg should come off the board first Wednesday night. Want to know more about the Duke forward? Here’s a look at our coverage of Flagg ahead of the draft:
— Cooper Flagg’s relentless work ethic, competitive spirit could make him NBA’s next prodigy
— Could Mavericks play Cooper Flagg at point guard? Former Jason Kidd teammate chimes in
— Inside Cooper Flagg’s Dallas visit: An iconic steakhouse, a Mavericks workout and more
— Presumptive No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg graces Sports Illustrated cover ahead of NBA draft
— Jason Kidd, Mavs love ‘that kid from Duke.’ How will No. 1 pick impact Dallas’ offseason?
— Flagg Fever has taken over Dallas, bringing instant benefits to Mavericks organization
— As Cooper Flagg-led reality sets in, Duke star’s fit with Mavs isn’t difficult to envision
— Cuban, Dumont screamed like ‘teenagers at a Taylor Swift concert’ after NBA draft lottery
— Who is Cooper Flagg? 10 things to know about Mavericks’ projected pick at No. 1 overall
— Dallas Mavericks win 2025 NBA draft lottery, have shot to take Cooper Flagg at No. 1
Dallas Mavericks’ 2025 NBA draft selections
First round: No. 1 overall
As the Mavericks go into the 2025 draft, they only own one pick. It happens to be the most important pick in this year’s event.
Dallas notably only had 1.8% chance at landing the first overall pick at the draft lottery. Only once before has Dallas had the No. 1 overall pick: It selected Mark Aguirre in 1981. In 1994, the Mavericks picked Jason Kidd No. 2 overall.
Dallas-area prospects to followTexas G Tre Johnson (Lake Highlands)
Texas guard Tre Johnson (20) celebrates a win over Kentucky during an NCAA college basketball game in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman)(Stephen Spillman / AP)As NBA draft nears, Tre Johnson has chance to fulfill shared dream between father and son
NEW YORK — It took just one season of college for Tre Johnson to prove he’s ready to be a professional basketball player.
The 19-year-old Garland native, one of the most potent scorers in the country during his lone season at Texas, is expected to be a lottery pick in the 2025 NBA draft Wednesday.
Johnson, a 6-6 guard, shouldn’t have to wait long to hear NBA commissioner Adam Silver call his name, fulfilling the co-authored dream of a son and his father.
— Read more from The Dallas Morning News’ Mike Curtis here. —
UConn F Liam McNeeley (Richardson Pearce, John Paul II)
UConn forward Liam McNeeley (30) celebrates during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Creighton, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Bonnie Ryan)(Bonnie Ryan / AP)For Richardson’s Liam McNeeley, competitive upbringing was key part of NBA draft journey
On that fateful May 12 night, Richardson’s Liam McNeeley and his family were among the NBA draft lottery audience in Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center, watching with two-fold interest.
Which teams would be best positioned to draft 6-7 forward McNeeley?
And might one of those teams be his hometown Mavericks?
“It certainly entered our mind,” McNeeley’s grandfather, Chuck Elsey, recalls with a laugh.
The family’s excitement did not ebb when it became clear the Mavericks leapfrogged into the top four, but instead megaplied when Dallas hit the lotto jackpot: No. 1 and the ability to draft Cooper Flagg.
The same Flagg with whom McNeeley played for two seasons at Florida’s Montverde Academy, and whose family is close with McNeeley’s.
— Read more from The Dallas Morning News’ Brad Townsend here. —
Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.