DALLAS — Dallas Mavericks president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri said Friday that the sky is the limit for Cooper Flagg, calling the second-year forward a generational talent and pointing to a jump in his game this offseason. Ujiri opened the team’s media day at American Airlines Center, the day before training camp opens.
Flagg won Rookie of the Year after averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 70 starts. He shot 46.8% from the field and 29.5% from 3-point range and led the Mavericks in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. Dallas drafted him first overall in June 2025 after one season at Duke.
Ujiri also confirmed the talk that Flagg grew this summer, but he pointed past the height to a jump in Flagg’s game. He noted that Flagg has been in the building every time he has been there.
“Well, there’s this thing going everywhere that he grew, right? Yes, he grew. Everything about him, too,” Ujiri said. “The spirit has been incredible with Cooper. And I see a jump with him. Just the time he’s put in. He’s one of these competitive guys that spends the time in the gym. He loves to compete. He loves to work out. There’s no time I’ve been in here where Cooper is not here.”
Ujiri visited Maine this summer, spending time at Flagg’s camp and with his family. He described a family that takes basketball in, and he said knowing Flagg from the inside is different from watching him in college.
“Very engaged with us. I had the opportunity to visit Maine and go to Cooper’s camp and spend time with his family,” Ujiri continued. “And just the way they absorb basketball, and how this is engraved in the family, it’s big. And you can see where he comes from. You read it. You feel it. You see him. You watched him in college. But now being inside everything and having access to everything, me knowing him, spending time with him, building a relationship with him.”
“For a 19-year-old to think like this guy, play like this guy, I think the sky is the limit,” Ujiri added. “And it’s generational talent that we’re blessed to have here. That’s why we want to bring joy back here. We want him to have that opportunity to grow the right way, have the right support in this organization. And him to play with that feeling and nothing on his shoulders but basketball and winning. Yeah, that’s what we want. And we’ve seen that happen and start to happen in the summer.”
Cooper Flagg On His Height And His Offseason
Basketball Reference lists Flagg at 6-foot-9. Flagg corrected the reports that he is now 6-11, putting himself at 6-10 without shoes and noting he was about 6-9 a year ago.
“Not very accurate,” Flagg said. “I’m 6-10. I got to say, my physical condition, I’m 6-10 with no shoes. I was like 6-9 last year, so definitely taller.”
Flagg described his rookie season as behind him and framed the offseason around the rest of his career. He split the summer between rest and skill work in the gym, and he credited teammates for how many of them were around all summer.
“Well, I think rookie season is done, so now I’m just improving for the rest of my career,” Flagg explained. “Just trying to get better every single day, and that’s what this offseason was about for me. Taking care of my body, resting, getting my mind right. But then also just being in the gym, working on individual things, skill things, stuff like that, that are obviously going to allow me to be better for the rest of my career, so I’m really, really proud of myself and how the offseason went. I thought it was a great offseason for me and a lot of the guys on the team. We had a lot of people in the gym all summer long.”
Cooper Flagg On Maine And Dusty May On His Ceiling
Flagg opened a card shop, Flagg Trading Co., in Bangor, Maine, on Sept. 12. He played a year of high school basketball in Maine before leaving for Montverde Academy in Florida, and he credited the state for pushing him through low moments.
“Maine has been really important to me my entire life,” Flagg said. “And my upbringing, obviously, is where I grew up and started my life, and then I played a year of high school basketball there and decided to leave and go to Florida. But just the support that I’ve had from then on from the entire state, just really pushing me forward at times when I might have been down or things like that. So the state of Maine has been incredible in my journey, and it’s been really important in helping me get to where I am today.”
New Mavericks coach Dusty May described Flagg’s production at 19 as amazing given the weight put on him last season. May also pointed out that Flagg’s rise will depend on the players around him.
“I’m amazed when you look at how productive he is as a 19-year-old in this league with the weight that was put on him last year, seeing different defenses and being a focal point,” May said. “We’re excited to help him on his journey and grow at whatever rate he grows at. He puts in the work. He’s very intelligent. He’s a great teammate. And all those things typically lead towards a rapid ascension to being one of the best players. But right now, it really is dependent upon his teammates and all of those around him.”
Dallas plays the Houston Rockets at The Venetian Arena in Macao on Oct. 9 and Oct. 11. The regular season opens Oct. 21 at Houston, with tip-off at 7:30 p.m. CT.
