The NBA season is nearly underway and many across the league are already expecting major accomplishments from Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg.
Flagg, who was selected by the Mavericks with the top overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, has been heralded as one of the most impressive prospects to enter the NBA over the past decade.
These expectations became evident when the NBA conducted its annual General Manager (GM) poll, in which GMs from across the league answer a series of questions to predict the upcoming season.
Flagg’s biggest recognition came when GMs were asked which player was most likely to win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award, with the Mavericks forward receiving 97% of the votes cast.
The only other rookie to receive a singular vote was Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe, who was selected third in the draft and is expected to have a major role with the team this season.
Similarly, Flagg dominated the rookie class when GMs were asked which player would be the best in five years, receiving 93% of all the votes cast for this question.
Meanwhile, Edgecomb and San Antonio Spurs rookie Dylan Harper each received an undisclosed number of votes for this question.
Flagg also earned mentions when GMs were asked which player acquisition would make the biggest impact, though Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant led that category with 73% of votes.
Notably, Flagg was not the only Mavericks player to receive votes throughout the various questions asked to GMs.
Mavericks forward Anthony Davis was voted as a top-five interior defender in the NBA, receiving an undisclosed number of votes while the San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama received 80% of votes and Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves received another 10%.
Additionally, Mavericks guard Klay Thompson received 7% of the votes when GMs were asked about which player was the best pure shooter, with Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry receiving the other 93% of votes.
As a team, the Mavericks were selected to finish eighth in the Western Conference, while also ranking among the most unpredictable teams in the league. The 76ers were viewed as the toughest to predict, receiving 47% of the votes, while Dallas tied for second with six other teams.
This vote comes prior to a season in which the Mavericks will be without guard Kyrie Irving for a significant portion while he recovers from a torn ACL, leading many to wonder whether this team has the juice to make the playoffs in a deep Western Conference without one of the best players in the league.
The Mavericks open the season later this month with high hopes for Flagg’s debut and questions about how the team will perform without Irving in the lineup.