The Dallas Mavericks defied the odds last night and secured the number one pick in the NBA Draft, despite only having a 1.6% chance of doing so. Projected top pick Cooper Flagg is now expected to join Dallas alongside Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis.
According to ESPN’s Jay Williams, the Mavericks have to seriously consider whether they should trade that pick for a win-now player. He explained his thoughts on ESPN’s Get Up this morning.
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“For a guy like Cooper Flagg, I think he needs reps, I think he needs a lot of room to grow,” Jay Williams said. “I’m not sure a championship aspiration is right away for him. Now look, the basketball part of me loves the thought of AD, Cooper Flagg, and Derek Lively in the backcourt, right? But when I look at the value—could you potentially package this to get a Giannis? Could you package a one-on-one trade to get a Devin Booker? Could you get a Tyrese Maxey? If your championship window is in two to three years, could you utilize that pick and some assets to get somebody ready to contribute to you right now, with the pressure in the Western Conference?”
The idea has more logic to it than many might imagine. With two aging superstars, Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, both turning 33 next season, the window of them being at the peak of their powers is closing—especially with Irving recovering from a torn ACL.
