The Dallas Mavericks have been through incredible highs and incredible lows over the last year. From the thrill of a return to the NBA Finals, to the disappointment of a Finals loss, to a ludicrous string of injuries, to a trade of their adopted son and generational talent… and now this.

Only three months removed from the franchise-altering trade of Luka Doncic, the Mavs won a coin flip with the Chicago Bulls to secure the 11th best odds in Monday night’s Draft. They then took their 1.8% chance and won the NBA Draft Lottery and the opportunity to select Cooper Flagg.

Suddenly the complexion of the Offseason has changed, as has the future of the franchise. For the next month, speculation will reign supreme as everyone guesses “will they or won’t they” in respect of what the Mavericks will do with the pick. There is virtually no question Flagg is going #1, but will he be wearing a Mavericks’ uniform come next season? I’m saying “yes” and here are 5 Reasons why.

Flagg is a Two-Way Player

If defense wins championships, Flagg fits the bill. It’s difficult to imagine Nico Harrison could want any player in this draft more than Flagg and now he’s got the unlikely chance to get him. Flagg features an incredible degree of versatility on both sides of the ball and touts a seven-foot one-inch wingspan. A picture is worth a thousand words, so if you’ve not yet seen him play, check out a highlight reel and you’ll see for yourself.

Redemption

Bouncing ping-pong balls may have saved the legacy of Nico Harrison. Granted he had nothing to do with the outcome, but he is the beneficiary nonetheless. Harrison was irredeemable in the eyes of many fans, and while those same fans may never forgive him for trading Luka Doncic, they now have hope for a favorable on-court future beyond just the next few years. Harrison now gets to say he is the guy that brought in Cooper Flagg and the only thing more unlikely than trading Doncic would be following it up by not selecting and keeping Flagg. There is no way he does that. Right…?

Giannis Doesn’t Make Sense

Giannis Antetokounmpo has made it clear he is willing to explore playing for a team other than the Milwaukee Bucks, and then rumors began that a state like Texas – with its favorable income tax implications – looked like a good place to hang his hat. Out of nowhere, the Mavericks can now at least enter the discussion. I just don’t think they will.

Harrison is not moving AD, and neither AD or Antetokounmpo will want to play the center position. Furthermore, there are still other teams with more plentiful assets that would likely entice the Bucks more than the Mavs can, while maintaining the ability to be competitive – the Mavs would have to gut much of their roster just to match salaries. Of the theoretically available players, Antetokounmpo should be the type the Mavs require if they’re going to give up the #1 Pick, but there just may be a few too many reasons it won’t happen.

Cap Management

It’s a rare occurrence for a team to secure a potential franchise player on a rookie-scale deal. It can literally only happen once in a player’s career, and not every player fits the “franchise” bill in the first place. For a team that indicated having concerns with offering a supermax, this opportunity is too good to pass up. Factor in the overall cap situation and the Mavs would be well served to have talent like this locked up on the relatively cheap.

Patrick Dumont

It has been reported that Dumont wants to bring in another executive to the front office to work alongside Harrison. This is an obvious indictment on the trust level he has in the GM. Although we have to realize at this point that anything is possible given what we’ve witnessed these past three months, the only reasonable way Dumont could possibly approve a trade of the #1 pick would be if it was the biggest no-brainer in history – the literal antithesis of the Doncic trade. We’re talking picks, superstars, the works. It’s difficult to believe that trade is out there in the ether somewhere. Barring such a deal, Dumont must realize that he is in damage control mode and needs to do all he can to ingratiate himself into the Dallas community that he spent literally billions to be a part of. For the first time in months, the fanbase is feeling Mavs-related joy and it’s difficult to find a scenario where Dumont allows that to evaporate. The only thing worse than trading Doncic may very well be following it up by trading the #1 pick and I don’t think he lets that happen.