Cooper Flagg - 'Blessing' not having to be Mavericks' centerpiece - ESPN

DALLAS — Cooper Flagg called it a «blessing» to be the rare No. 1 overall pick who isn't the centerpiece of a rebuilding franchise, landing instead on a Dallas Mavericks roster loaded with veterans, including a few future Hall of Famers.

«A lot of people in this position or this situation aren't granted this opportunity, so I just feel really blessed and grateful for the situation I've been given,» Flagg said Friday during his introductory press conference at the Mavericks' practice facility. «I'm just looking forward to being a sponge. Just getting down here, I'm excited to just learn, soak it all in and learn from the guys that are older and have been through it all before.

»Those guys have so much knowledge. They've been through so much and they have so much experience that it's just going to be an incredible opportunity for me to learn and grow under them."

The 18-year-old Flagg's new teammates include a trio that has combined for 24 All-Star appearances and six NBA championships in Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson.

Dallas landed in the draft lottery after finishing 39-43 and getting eliminated in the Western Conference's final play-in game. The Mavs got extraordinarily lucking, winning the No. 1 overall pick despite only 1.8% odds. As a result, after leading Duke to a Final Four appearance in his lone college season, Flagg will begin his NBA career on a team that has aspirations to contend immediately, although Irvin will likely miss the first half of the season while recovering from a torn ACL.

«We're in win-now mode, and so he adds to that, but he's also the future of the franchise,» Mavs general manager Nico Harrison said.

The 6-foot-8, 220-pound Flagg is considered one of the most versatile