The Dallas Mavericks just won the NBA Draft lottery, giving them the right to draft Duke sensation Cooper Flagg, but the pick could have belonged to the Miami Heat. Had the Heat lost in the Play-In Tournament, they would have had the 11th-best odds to win the lottery, which is the position the Mavs had. Thus, they would have had the chance to bring Flagg to South Beach.
Instead, the Heat won both of their Play-In games, becoming the first 10-seed to make the playoffs. But they got unceremoniously swept by the one-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. Now, Flagg will join Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and Dereck Lively II in Dallas.
Heat Culture turned into the Heat’s downfall.
Cooper Flagg will be a Maverick
Flagg is projected to be a generational talent. He just churned out an extremely impressive rookie season, being named Naismith Men's College Player of the Year by the end of his freshman season.
Though Duke was unable to capture a National Championship, Flagg showed out in the NCAA Tournament, leading his team to a Final Four appearance. And since he entered college a year early, he’s also very young for an NBA Draft prospect.
Dallas’ stunning trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers before the deadline will now turn into their chance to develop yet another incredible NBA star. Meanwhile, Miami will have to rethink its future plans.
What could have been with Flagg and the Heat
Flagg's incredible defensive acumen would have created an incredible front-court alongside Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware. The length of that trio alone would have been enough to give opponents a brutal time scoring, especially at the basket.
On top of that, Flagg's scoring ability has improved year in and year out during his high school and collegiate careers. Alongside Tyler Herro, the Heat would have had another source of offense, as that has been a huge problem for them in recent years.
Plus, it would have given the Heat a bit more direction. There seems to be a ceiling on how far a Herro-Adebayo-led squad can make it in the postseason, but with Flagg on the roster, they could have had a developmental project capable of transforming into a 1A type of guy. Flagg has the potential to be a Top-10 player in the league at one point in his career.
Now, Miami will be left to figure out their draft plans with a much later pick, and the Mavs will get to build around Flagg.