Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg was on Team USA’s Select Team in 2024 and more than held his own against NBA superstars.
Flagg, who will be 21 years old during the summer of 2028 when the Summer Olympics take place in Los Angeles, is considered an “easy addition” for Team USA’s 2028 roster, according to Vincent Goodwill of ESPN.
“Meanwhile, Cooper Flagg, who really opened eyes among the small group of media members allowed to watch in Las Vegas in the run-up to the 2024 Olympics, could end up being an easy addition,” Goodwill wrote. “The Dallas Mavericks rookie will be 21 when the Summer Games begin in L.A. ‘What I like about him, he really competes and plays hard,’ a source connected with USA Basketball said of Flagg. ‘He’s good at just about everything.’
“Given Flagg’s rapid rise during his rookie season, he’s on a path to become an All-Star and one of the best two-way players in the world by 2028.”
Flagg has already established himself as one of the top players in the NBA as a rookie. The Duke product is averaging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game for the Mavericks while shooting 48.2% from the field, 30.2% from beyond the arc and 80.4% from the free-throw line.
A Maine native, Flagg scored a career-high 49 points on January 29 against the Charlotte Hornets. The forward set the NBA record for points by a teenager. He broke the Mavericks rookie scoring record shared with Mark Aguirre, whose jersey was retired at halftime of the Dallas-Charlotte game.
“You saw history,” Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said. “We saw history at halftime, and we got to see a young man play the game at a very high level. To have Mark in the building and break his record was pretty special.”
Assuming he’s healthy in the summer of 2028, all signs point toward Flagg being on Team USA and playing in the Los Angeles Olympics.
Flagg is currently out with a foot injury. It’s unknown when the swingman will return to Dallas’ lineup.
The Mavericks are in 12th place in the Western Conference standings. They are in rebuild mode after trading Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers last season for Anthony Davis, who was traded to the Washington Wizards at this year’s trade deadline.
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