The Dallas Mavericks defied all odds by landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, which the team used to select Cooper Flagg on Wednesday. Drafting a generational talent in Flagg, however, didn’t appear to appease the Mavericks’ fanbase, which remains irate at general manager Nico Harrison.
The Mavericks hosted a draft watch party at the American Airlines Center in Dallas on Wednesday and, with the Mavericks on the verge of selecting Flagg, fans broke out in ‘Fire Nico’ chants.
The chant has become a catchphrase among Dallas fans after Harrison brokered a blockbuster deal to trade Mavericks superstarLuka Doncic, in addition to Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris, to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick on Feb. 2.
After the trade, the Mavericks almost immediately suffered back-to-back injury blows — Kyrie Irving suffered a season-ending ACL tear on March 3 and Davis missed 18 consecutive games after getting hurt in his Mavericks debut on Feb. 8. The Mavericks failed to make it out of the NBA play-in tournament, though the Lakers didn’t fare much better. Los Angeles was eliminated in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves, 4-1.
The Mavericks may have lost one franchise star in Doncic, but they seemingly landed another in Flagg after Dallas won the first overall pick in the NBA Draft Lottery despite only having a 1.8% chance to win.
‘A new era begins tonight,’ the Mavericks said on social media on Wednesday. Mavericks fans sure hope so, but it looks like they will need a little longer to mourn the loss of Doncic.
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