Cooper Flagg at point guard? A possibility for a ‘sponge’ on a veteran Mavs roster

DALLAS — In Jason Kidd’s rookie season, players in their early 20s populated the Dallas Mavericks’ roster.

Between 1992 and 1994, the Mavericks picked in the top five of the NBA Draft three times in a row. They chose Jim Jackson (No. 4 pick, 1992), Jamal Mashburn (No. 4 pick, 1993) and Kidd (No. 2 pick, 1994). At the start of Kidd’s first year in Dallas, they were 24, 22 and 21 years old, respectively.

The 1994-95 Mavericks’ inexperience prevented them from being as competitive as Kidd would have liked. They went 36-46 and missed the playoffs.

“When I was drafted, we were maybe the youngest team,” Kidd said Friday. “We just didn’t have a lot of vets.”

The situation Cooper Flagg enters in Dallas will be much different. Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson are all future Hall of Famers in their 30s who’ve already won championships.

“There’s not a better situation for him to learn the game on and off the floor,” Kidd said of Flagg, as the Mavericks introduced their No. 1 pick during a Friday-afternoon news conference.

Flagg agreed.

“I think it’s a blessing. A lot of people in this position, this situation, aren’t granted this opportunity,” Flagg said. “I’m looking forward to being a sponge.”

It’s good that Flagg has that mindset because Kidd sounds ready to give him plenty of responsibility right away. Kidd, who was one of the greatest point guards in league history before moving to the sidelines to coach, said he wants Flagg to get reps at his old position.

“I want to put him at point guard,” Kidd said. “I want to make him uncomfortable and see how he reacts. Be able to run the show. Be able to play (shooting guard). Play (small forward). He’s comfortable playing that. We want to push. I think he’s going to respond in a positive way.”

At the college level, Duke coach Jon Scheyer entrusted Flagg to bring the ball up the floor and get the team into its offense. Flagg averaged 4.2 assists per game for the Blue Devils. His 156 assists were 41 more than his next-closest teammate.

Flagg has a lot of offensive polish for such a young player. It’s easy to imagine him driving into the lane and serving up lobs to Davis like he did for Duke teammate Khaman Maluach.

Flagg’s playmaking ability will be needed on a team that will be missing its best ballhandler and advantage creator for a significant chunk of next season. Irving tore his ACL in March and isn’t expected to return to action until 2026.

Big men Davis, Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively II are all locks to be in the Mavericks’ rotation next season, as is P.J. Washington. The Mavericks believe all of them can coexist.

On Wednesday, general manager Nico Harrison told a story about Washington attending Flagg’s pre-draft workout in Dallas.

“I said, ‘P.J., think you guys can play together?’” Harrison said. “He said, ‘Oh yeah, we can play together.’ I don’t see any jealousy. I think guys are excited to play with (Flagg).”

The Mavericks only have one standard roster spot open going into the start of free agency next week. They are expected to use their $5.7 million taxpayer midlevel exception to sign a guard. Malcolm Brogdon, the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2023 who spent last season in Washington, is one name to watch, according to league sources. D’Angelo Russell is another. NBA reporter Marc Stein called the Mavericks a “leading suitor” to sign Russell. There is mutual interest between Dallas and the 29-year-old guard, according to league sources who have spoken with The Athletic.

“You can’t replace Kyrie,” Harrison said. “Our goal is to try to get a piece that will bridge the gap while he’s out.”

Harrison added, “Not really worried about someone who can run the offense. I think we have enough guys who will be able to handle the ball and play multiple positions. (We need) someone to get us organized.”

Luka Dončić annually had one of the highest usage rates in the NBA in his 6 1/2 seasons in Dallas, and for good reason. He is one of the brightest offensive talents in league history. The Mavericks were a top-10 offensive team four times with Dončić driving the ship.

“I think we’ll be different than in the past,” Harrison said. “You have multiple guys who can handle the ball, multiple guys who can get you into the offense. I think you’ll see us playing at a faster pace.”

Flagg is expected to be one of those ball handlers.

The 18-year-old from Newport, Maine, was 4 years old when the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Irving with the No. 1 pick in 2011, and he was 5 years old when the New Orleans Hornets chose Davis No. 1 in 2012. Flagg acknowledged Friday he had no memory of either of Irving’s or Davis’ college careers.

“He’s very lucky to have veterans,” Kidd said.

— The Athletic’s Dan Woike contributed to this report.

(Photo of Nico Harrison, Cooper Flagg and Jason Kidd: Jerome Miron / Imagn Images)