Dallas places future of the franchise in Cooper Flagg as Southwest Division gets better

Just months ago the Dallas Mavericks were playing in the NBA finals Now they feel poised to get back there They have a new superstar as Cooper Flagg was selected first overall in the NBA draft a move that comes on the heels of one of the greater part controversial and upsetting for Mavericks fans trades in league history in which Luka Doncic was sent to the Los Angeles Lakers I think it s win now It s also win in the future GM Nico Harrison noted during a post-draft news conference in Dallas Eventually it s going to be Cooper s band We don t know when that transition will happen So I think it s win now and then set yourself up to win in the future as well The San Antonio Spurs also feel like they got better They selected Rutgers Dylan Harper second overall giving them an explosive point guard who has plenty of star anticipated Five picks later the New Orleans Pelicans selected sharpshooter Jeremiah Fears from Oklahoma at No overall giving the top of this year s draft a very distinctive Southwest flavor The division got a needed injection of talent The Houston Rockets were the only Southwest company to make the playoffs last season but were upset at the No seed by Golden State in the first round But the Rockets landed -time All-Star and and four-time Olympic gold medalist Kevin Durant in a bargain before the draft Dallas Mavericks What was the group s need The need didn t matter because there was no question who the Mavs were taking Dallas demands a facilitating guard to fill the void until Kyrie Irving returns from his knee injury apparently in December or January Who did the group draft Flagg from Duke If Flagg lives up to his feasible the Mavs unveiled a new generational young talent less than six months after sending the one they had to the Lakers Flagg will be two-plus seasons into this NBA career when he turns Dallas did not have a second-round pick The pick s NBA comparison Flagg certainly has a chance to be a smaller version assuming he s finished growing of his new teammate Anthony Davis He has expected as a two-way participant who is a scoring threat from the perimeter San Antonio Spurs What the club s need After failing to make the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season San Antonio needed scoring playmaking and a big man to assist Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama Who did the crew draft Harper at No and forward Carter Bryant at No The Spurs sent the th pick to the Pacers The picks NBA comparisons At -foot- Harper has been compared to former MVP James Harden Detroit All-Star Cade Cunningham and his father five-time NBA champion Ron Harper Harper s size and strength allows him to get to the rim absorb contact and points on a layup or via free throws The -year-old Bryant has been compared to New Orleans forward Trey Murphy III because of defensive ability and offensive promising Bryant shot on -pointers and from the field New Orleans Pelicans What was the club s need After going - and bringing in Joe Dumars as their new basketball operations chief the Pelicans needed depth across the roster but particularly at point guard because of Dejounte Murray s prolonged recovery from an Achilles injury in January Who did the group draft Point guard Jeremiah Fears from Oklahoma at No and Maryland forward-center Derik Queen at No after acquiring that pick in a contract that sent Atlanta their rd overall selection this year and a first-round pick Dallas did not have a second-round pick The Pelicans got Georgetown guard Micah Peavy in the second round in the pick that was made by the Wizards The picks NBA comparisons As a -foot- slasher who not only can play the point but also excels at creating his own shot Fears battle resembles that of Murray as well as that of New York s Josh Hart a former Pelicans fan favorite as well as Detroit s Jaden Ivey and Sacramento s Markelle Fultz The -foot- Queen isn t known for his outside shot or shot-blocking but was productive inside presence with averages of points and nine rebounds in his final college season He draws comparisons to Houston s Alperen eng n Peavy has drawn comparisons to CJ McCollum Memphis Grizzlies What was the company s need The Grizzlies must replace sharpshooter Desmond Bane sent to Orlando in a June deal Memphis has tried for chosen time to find the right -and-D competitor who can provide shooting from distance with a strong defensive mindset Memphis requirements to recover from a collapse down the stretch The Grizzlies went from second place in the Western Conference on Feb to the play-in tournament Who did the unit draft The Grizzlies moved up to th in the draft in a contract with Portland ending up with Cedric Coward a - wing from Washington State Memphis added a pair of guards on Thursday night known for their defense in Javon Small of West Virginia and Tennessee s Jahmai Mashack the latter acquired after trading down three spots in the draft to No The pick s NBA comparison Coward has specific of the skillsets seen in Kawhi Leonard and Jalen Williams Small has drawn comparisons to CJ Watson while Mashack reminds particular of Scottie Pippen Houston Rockets What was the group s need As it stands now the Rockets don t have a pick in this draft that they ll get to keep after also shipping their second-round pick to the Suns But that s OK for a organization stocked with young talent that finished with the second-best record in the Western Conference this season Who did the club draft Duke C Khaman Maluach at No but he will go to Phoenix as part of the Durant contract The Rockets also traded away their second-round pick The pick s NBA comparison Maluach has specific similarities to Hassan Whiteside AP NBA https apnews com nba Source