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ORLANDO, FLORIDA – MARCH 05: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket against Jalen Suggs #4 of the Orlando Magic in the first half of a game at Kia Center on March 05, 2026 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
For the first time this season, the Dallas Mavericks played in Boston. That marks the first time that Cooper Flagg has played against the Celtics near his hometown. Flagg is from Maine, so he grew up a Celtics fan. He got to participate in Jayson Tatum’s first game back.
Flagg and the Mavs weren’t able to beat Boston, but it was still a good experience for Flagg to play in front of a lot of friends and family. Flagg finished the game with 16 points on just 7-23 shooting, and he looked like he was pressing. He wanted to perform in front of all of those people there to see him.
Celtics fans have tried to push Flagg towards the organization when he becomes a free agent in four years. Flagg shut down that talk very quickly and had a bold announcement about his career.
GettyDallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg shoots the ball. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Mavericks Star Cooper Flagg Wants to Stay in Dallas Forever
After the game in Boston, Flagg made it clear that he only wants to play in Dallas, and he has no interest in joining the Celtics.
“Nah, I love being a Maverick. That’s home, and I don’t want anything else. It was incredible to be able to play here. Obviously, it’s a place I came as a kid and got to watch. So, I think it’s going to be incredibly fun for the rest of my career to come and play in front of this crowd.”
Flagg made it very clear up front that he loves Dallas and wants to keep playing for the Mavericks. He’s not even a full year into his NBA career yet, so he still has a long way to go. He is already the best player that Dallas has, and they should have a strong draft pick this year, too.
GettyDallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg drives the ball. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
Cooper Flagg is Already a Superstar Player
As a rookie, Flagg is already a superstar player in the NBA. He had a lot thrust onto his plate early, including being the starting point guard early on. Right now, Dallas has the fifth-worst offense in the league. Without Kyrie Irving, it’s going to be hard for that to improve this season.
Dallas is working towards being a better team next season when Irving is healthy, and they have a full plan of what to do. Anthony Davis and his struggles early in the season to stay healthy further derailed Flagg’s development, so that had to be taken care of.
The Mavericks are tanking for the rest of this season, and that’s part of the reason why Irving isn’t returning this season. It doesn’t make sense for him to come back and push himself if they can’t make the playoffs or even the play-in. Flagg is still the building block that is the foundation of the franchise.
Dallas did decide to trade Luka Doncic when he wanted to play his entire career with the franchise, so that can’t be ruled out with Flagg.
Ryan Stano Ryan Stano covers the NBA for Heavy.com. He has been covering sports since 2017, covering the NFL, College Football, College Basketball, and the NBA. His work has been featured on Yahoo, Bleacher Report, FanSided, and Sports Illustrated. More about Ryan Stano
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