It seems like not too long ago that Cooper Flagg walked across the stage at Barclays Center, shook Adam Silver’s hand, and became the newest member of the Dallas Mavericks.
That’s because it wasn’t; it was just two weeks ago. But the NBA calendar moves quickly, and we’ll already get our first chance to see Flagg in a Mavericks uniform as NBA Summer League tips off tonight with a matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. The game will start at 8 p.m. ET.
Los Angeles is a 3.5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook (-170 on the Moneyline), with the point total set for 177.5. Dallas is +142 on the Moneyline. I’ll break down this much-anticipated matchup with a preview of each team and offer a prediction.
Lakers-Mavericks Roster Breakdown
As soon as the game starts, all eyes will be on Flagg, a generational prospect who averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.8 combined steals/blocks per game last season at Duke and won just about every award available to him. Though he’s been touted as one of the more pro-ready rookies in a while, tonight will give fans a good sense of just how pro-ready he is. It wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see him struggle — Victor Wembanyama, Cade Cunningham, and Karl-Anthony Towns are among recent first picks to have rough debuts — and Dallas fans shouldn’t be alarmed either way.
There are only two players with any NBA experience on the Mavericks’ summer league roster — Maxwell Lewis, who averaged 5.3 points in 14.2 minutes per game in 21 games last season for the Brooklyn Nets, and Jordan Hall, who made nine substitute appearances for the San Antonio Spurs in 2022. Other notable rookies include Ryan Nembhard — the younger brother of Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard, who was critical in his team’s run to the NBA Finals — and Melvin Ajinça, a French wing drafted by the New York Knicks in the second round of last year’s draft. There’s some exciting pick-and-roll potential between Nembhard, whose 9.8 assists per game led the West Coast Conference last season, and Flagg, who is an excellent mover for his size.
The Lakers’ summer league roster has much more NBA experience and has already played three games as part of the California Classic Summer League, going 2-1. Though Los Angeles’ roster is headlined by Bronny James, who exhibited plenty of growth despite poor overall counting stats as a rookie, Dalton Knecht and Trey Jemison III each have more than 900 minutes of top-level play under their belts. The squad also includes Darius Bazley, a former Oklahoma City Thunder first-round pick with more than 5,500 minutes in the league. Bazley averaged 17.7 points per game in the California Classic, and fourth-year man Cole Swider contributed 19.7. That’s not to mention Christian Koloko, who had 19 starts with the Toronto Raptors in 2022-23.
While the matchup is billed as one between Flagg and James, James probably won’t even play all that much. He only averaged 12.8 minutes per game in the two California Classic contests in which he appeared, in large part because his place on the Lakers’ roster isn’t in question (barring Los Angeles trading his father) and he doesn’t have too much to prove in Summer League. Likewise, this might well be Flagg’s only appearance in the tournament; Williamson only played one game, while Wembanyama, Paolo Banchero, and Zaccharie Risacher each played two.
Lakers vs. Mavericks Pick
Los Angeles Lakers -3.5 (-110)
The NBA game is extremely fast, and while the Atlantic Coast Conference is strong, it’s unfair to assume that Flagg will automatically play better than Wembanyama, Cunningham, and Towns did in their first NBA games. While Flagg is more talented than any individual player on the Lakers’ Summer League roster, the experience and chemistry disparity between the rosters is massive. Los Angeles was convincing enough in the California Classic, and a late 14-point comeback against San Antonio on Tuesday has to help its confidence.
