Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green appears to question the Dallas Mavericks’ decision to shut down Cooper Flagg. Here’s why.
Draymond Green Questions Dallas Mavericks’ Decision
Draymond Green didn’t mention Flagg by name, but appeared to make the connection with the 2025 No. 1 overall pick, who was shut down after a 31-point performance in the Dallas Mavericks’ second Summer League game.
“I find it very interesting that players get bashed for ‘load management’ but rookies get shut down during summer league these days … fascinating huh,” Green wrote this week on Threads, Meta’s X competitor platform.
Flagg’s longtime trainer, Matt MacKenzie, spoke with CBS Sports this week about Flagg’s next steps. MacKenzie said, “Cooper will head back to Dallas to get settled in and workout at the Mavs practice facility before heading to Maine in August for a couple weeks. He’s headlining a basketball camp for a couple days, and we’ll continue his training up there as he prepares looks ahead to the rookie transition program and the start of training camp.”
Green’s Previous Statement On the Mavericks
Previously, Draymond Green said Flagg holds an unlikely luxury as the top pick, one most rookies rarely experience. Green mentioned Flagg joining well-established superstars, Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, and stressed the point that there’s no expectation as a rookie to be a franchise savior of sorts in Dallas.
Green said last month on “The Draymond Green Show” with Baron Davis, “I don’t think he could have asked for anything better as the No. 1 pick. You ain’t gotta go average 25 points on a bad team or 20 points on a bad team.”
Final Thoughts
Draymond Green’s current statement comes just days after Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby took to social media during the Dallas Mavericks’ fourth Summer League game. Crosby, 27, shared a courtside photo on X, formerly Twitter, alongside Cooper Flagg with the caption, “Dallas Got a Great One.”
It’s unclear if Green wanted to steal the spotlight from Crosby, who shares some Bay Area-based followers due to previously playing in Oakland for his first season in the NFL before the Raiders moved to Las Vegas. However, Green likely won’t stop making statements anytime soon. We’ll see what Green says next.
