Could Cooper Flagg Play Point Guard in Giannis-Like Move for Mavericks? originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Dallas Mavericks rookie wing Cooper Flagg showed flashes of greatness during the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas—showcasing the versatile skillset that made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

“He’s a complete stud,” Mavs guard Nolan Hickman said. “He was the No. 1 pick for a reason.

“I saw that when we were back in training camp. I saw a little bit of it in summer league this week. He’s a total stud, man. He’s going to be real good.”

The Mavericks are looking to get the most out of their young phenom and challenged him to run actions as the team’s point guard during his two Summer League games. Flagg served as the primary decision-maker in pick-and-roll situations and consistently brought the ball up the floor, even against defenders who picked him up full court.

“I think I’ve been solid,” Flagg said about playing point guard in Summer League. “I think I’m exhausted. You know I’m not used to bringing the ball up like that and every time I’m getting the ball full court, it’s somebody on my hip playing 94 feet, so definitely not used to that but I think I did a solid job of bringing it up against pressure and trying to set up our different actions.”

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd used a similar strategy with a young Giannis Antetokounmpo back in 2016 during his time with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Putting the ball in Antetokounmpo’s hands early in his career paid great dividends, and the Mavericks are hoping for a similar return on investment with Flagg.

The Mavericks aren’t trying to place Antetokounmpo-level expectations on Flagg just yet, but with his unique skillset and early poise, the sky is undoubtedly the limit.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 29, 2025, where it first appeared.