Cooper Flagg is starting to settle into his new reality. He’s been considered the presumptive No. 1 pick in next month’s NBA draft for some time and now knows that pick is held by the Dallas Mavericks.

Flagg led Duke to a Final Four appearance in 2024-25, on his way to garnering All-American and national player of the year honors from several organizations. The 6'9'' power forward averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, showcasing his mature, well-rounded game that is expected to translate seamlessly to the NBA.

Long-suffering fans of the Jazz, Hornets, Pelicans and Wizards had to watch the coveted Flagg pick go to a team that literally just played in the 2024 NBA Finals. That's just tough, and the "rigged" conspiracy theories are understandable. When will these teams catch a break? Those Flagg dreams went up in smoke so fast.