The Dallas Mavericks hit the jackpot in the NBA Draft lottery and got the right to draft Cooper Flagg. It was exactly what the fan base needed after the heartbreaking Luka Doncic trade. The conspiracy theorists were right. Flagg will play for the Mavs, but Harrison still could have gotten significantly more from the Thunder for Luka.
OKC is uniquely positioned to trade for any player in the league because they have a mountain of draft capital and a roster filled with blossoming talent. ESPN’s Bobby Marks went through the possible packages for Luka, and the Thunder trade featuring seven first-round picks still stands out.
Harrison did not shop Doncic. He zoned in on the Lakers because he wanted Anthony Davis. That is why the Mavs don’t have Austin Reaves or the Lakers coveted 2031 first-round pick. Even by adding Flagg to the package Dallas received, the Thunder could have topped it.
The Thunder had the best package for Luka Doncic even if you count Cooper Flagg
It is not fair to say Flagg was part of the trade. It was not the Lakers selection that moved Dallas up. Things went so bad for the Mavericks after trading Luka, they slipped into the lottery. Injuries were partially to blame, but so was an unbalanced roster lacking shot creation and ball-handling.
Even by adding Flagg, the Mavericks return for Luka Doncic sits at Anthony Davis, Max Christie, Flagg, and a 2029 first-round draft pick. Davis is a top-25 player in the NBA, and Christie is 25-minute per game role player with room to grow into a starter. Flagg projects as a future star, but Dallas still has roster issues and just three first-round draft picks to trade out of them.
The Thunder could have allowed them to totally reset. Marks had them giving up seven first round draft picks, which would have put Dallas at nine tradeable selections. Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, Ousmane Dieng, and Kenrich Williams were all part of Marks package. That is a handful of talented role players and the draft capital to acquire the next available star. Imagine the Mavs with Kyrie and Giannis flanked by arguably the deepest roster in the NBA.
Winning the lottery guarantees nothing. Cooper Flagg may be a generational star, but Nico Harrison just traded one of those for an awful return. Kyrie Irving is likely out for the majority of the 2025-26 season as he recovers from ACL surgery. Dallas needs ball-handlers and to clear their glut of big men. Flagg and Davis may form a dynamic duo, but AD is already 32 with a lengthy injury history. Their window is short and could close unexpectedly.
The Mavericks got lucky in the lottery. It was the only thing that could save them from a grim future. Nico Harrison will continue to regret not shopping Luka Doncic. Even getting Austin Reaves and the Lakers 2031 first round draft pick would have given him more ammo to build this roster around Cooper Flagg. He did not do his job, and Dallas will continue to pay for that.
The Dallas Mavericks could have gotten more from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Luka Doncic is one of the five best players in the world. Other offers may have even topped OKC’s offer. It is impossible to know because Nico Harrison failed. The Mavs got a gift in the lottery. Hopefully, Nico doesn’t ruin that too.
