Cooper Flagg made his highly anticipated debut for the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday in the NBA 2K26 Summer League against the Los Angeles Lakers and Bronny James in Las Vegas.
The matchup, which boasted the highest average ticket price for a summer league game since Victor Wembanyama’s debut for the San Antonio Spurs, saw Flagg score a massive dunk for his first points as a pro. Flagg, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, finished with 10 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists as Dallas bested Los Angeles 87-85. James finished with 8 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists.
What can we decipher from the Flagg’s first game as a Maverick? Our NBA experts weigh in on key takeaways, his best moment and what part of his game had the greatest impact.
Flagg could be an instant force for Mavs
There have never been any doubts about Flagg’s ability. At only 18 years old, the 6-foot-8, 220-pound Flagg possesses a prototypical NBA physique and the kind of explosive pop that makes a crowd gasp several times per game.
Blend those physical gifts with Flagg’s full-speed ballhandling ability and feel for the game, and it’s easy to see why Mavericks coach Jason Kidd got a vibe of a young Grant Hill when studying the No. 1 pick’s film.
Flagg should be an instant force as a transition offense weapon. That facet of Flagg’s game was on full display in his first official outing in a Dallas uniform, although he didn’t find his groove in the half-court offense against the Lakers.
Flagg’s first bucket was a ferocious tomahawk dunk to finish a one-man fast break that he started with a steal. He pushed the pace again on the next possession before hitting a smooth baseline fadeaway over the Lakers’ 2024 first-round pick Dalton Knecht. And Flagg delivered a breathtaking dime on the Mavs’ following possession, a look-ahead laser from beyond half court while pushing the ball again. It won’t show up in the box score because Dallas center Moussa Cisse couldn’t finish, but it’s not hard to imagine Dereck Lively II or Daniel Gafford converting that pass into a rim-rattling dunk.
Flagg’s combination of skill and feel also created the game’s most important sequence. He soared to swat away a layup attempt, pushed the pace again and found guard Ryan Nembhard for a wide-open 3 to give the Mavs the lead for good with 59.1 seconds left.
It was a rough shooting night for Flagg (5-of-21 from the field, including 0-of-5 on 3s). But it was fun to watch him run the break, which he seems ready to do as soon as he steps into the league. — Tim MacMahon
Flagg’s dunk ignites summer league crowd
The Thomas & Mack Center crowd was so eager for Thursday’s tip between the Mavericks and Lakers that they mercilessly booed the referees at the end of the Brooklyn Nets and Oklahoma City Thunder game preceding it. Not that they disagreed with the validity of the take foul called on Brooklyn rookie Ben Saraf in the waning seconds, they just were fed up with any whistle that would get in the way of Flagg finally taking the court.
Once the game tipped off, the fans’ gratification for seeing Flagg officially plant his presence in the league was further delayed.
Flagg’s first official statistic of the summer league was a missed fadeaway from 12 feet coming 18 seconds into the first quarter. Less than 30 seconds later, he was back in the box score, this time for fouling Lakers forward Darius Bazley on the boards.
Nearly 30 seconds later, Flagg took his second shot — this time from 3 — and missed again.
He was still scoreless when he subbed out for the first time with 5:38 remaining in the first. But after a quick break, he checked back in. And it happened. Lakers guard DJ Steward threw a pass that Flagg pounced on, swiping it out of the passing lane and powering down to the other end to finish a fast break with a coast-to-coast tomahawk.
The fans got what they came for, erupting in a roar that echoed through the arena.
Flagg finished 5-for-21 shooting, notching 10 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists.
A forgettable line, at best. But he made a moment happen. You never forget your first. — Dave McMenamin
Flagg’s production outside of the scoresheet
Flagg missed 16 of 21 shots and didn’t score in the second half of his summer league debut. But there’s no reason to worry about one off shooting night — his promise is predicated on his ability to stuff the stat sheet in so many ways beyond scoring.
At Duke, Flagg averaged 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks. For context, the only NBA players to average similar numbers (7-4-1-1) in those categories last season were do-it-all forwards Scottie Barnes and Jalen Johnson. The players in NBA history with the most such seasons are Kevin Garnett (10 times), Giannis Antetokounmpo (8) and Chris Webber (7).
Flagg essentially matched his college averages in 32 minutes Thursday, with 6 rebounds, 4 assists — he would’ve had more if his teammates had knocked down more 3-pointers after Flagg’s kickout passes — 3 steals and 1 block. He also tallied only one turnover despite facing heavy ball pressure from Lakers defenders.
That all-around production is a large part of Flagg’s appeal, and a reason for optimism as he enters his rookie season for an ostensible contender. Playing next to Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, D’Angelo Russell and eventually Kyrie Irving, Flagg won’t need to lead his team in shots, as he did Thursday. But he will be most effective if he’s able to contribute in every other facet of the game — particularly on defense, where his playmaking potential already has him looking like a game changer. – Zach stall
Flagg’s size will challenge the NBA
Flagg’s size was the first thing that jumped out to me against NBA opposition. Listed as 6-9, Flagg is projected to start his career at small forward for the giant Mavericks, who boast a frontcourt of the 6-10 Davis and the 7-1 Lively.
To open the game, Flagg was defended by former first-round pick Bazley, nominally the Lakers’ starting center at 6-8. That kind of cross-matching defensive assignments won’t be an option when he plays alongside Davis and either Lively or the 6-10 Gafford, who can punish smaller defenders in a way nobody else on Dallas’ summer roster can.
Against shorter opponents, Flagg’s size should convey multiple benefits. When he runs pick-and-rolls, Flagg will have clear passing lanes over the top of defenders. That’s something Kidd encouraged Antetokounmpo to utilize while coaching a young Antetokounmpo with the Milwaukee Bucks. He’s clearly following a similar playbook with Flagg.
At the defensive end, Flagg’s size allows him to make highlight plays as Kram quantified. A 7-foot wingspan, nearly as large as lottery center pick Derik Queen (7-foot-½), means Flagg will constantly be a presence in passing lanes.
Ideally, the Mavericks will ultimately find a wing stopper, enabling them to deploy Flagg on poor shooters as an active help defender. For now, Dallas might need Flagg to defend the opponent’s best perimeter threat when P.J. Washington is on the bench. — Kevin Pelton
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