Doncic 2.0 and Mavericks' last hope: Dallas choose Cooper Flagg as 1st pick in NBA Draft

The long-awaited drama has reached its pinnacle - the Dallas Mavericks selected Cooper Flagg as the first pick in the NBA Draft.

The 18-year-old 6 ft 9 in small forward is truly a generational talent and, as the Americans said, "the great white hope of the NBA." He is reportedly the most talented player in the NBA Draft since 2003 and LeBron James.

The Mavericks had just a 1.8% chance of winning the Draft lottery and the rights to the first pick, but this time, luck was on their side, and Luka Doncic's successor, coming from the much-respected Duke, is about to land in Texas.

"I'm feeling amazing. It's a dream come true, to be honest," Flagg said after his selection, with his family by his side. "I wouldn't want to share it with anybody else."

Flagg was the best college player by a considerable margin, as he won every major award, led the NCAA in BPM and led all non-centres in PER. He's very versatile, playing splendidly on both ends, and has extremely high rates of assists and steals for a player of his size.

The next stop for Dallas' new star is the NBA Summer League, where all eyes will be on him.

Flagg's arrival in Dallas comes less than five months after the Mavs shockingly traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. The deal outraged the fan base of a franchise that advanced to the NBA Finals the previous season.

After Flagg was selected, the other rookies will finally get some attention, as they are both talented and could seriously upset Flagg in the Rookie of the Year race.

The San Antonio Spurs selected Dylan Harper (Rutgers Scarlet Knights), while the Philadelphia 76ers opted for V.J. Edgecombe (Baylor).