Luka Doncic was once considered the franchise star for the Dallas Mavericks. That changed, of course, when the Mavs traded Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers this past February. The Mavs were saved by luck (literally) after overcoming a 1.8 percent chance to land the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, leading to the selection of Cooper Flagg this past Wednesday.

Dirk Nowitzki and Luka Doncic were past Mavericks franchise superstars. Cooper Flagg is expected to become the next face of the franchise in Dallas. However, that doesn't mean Doncic and Flagg should be compared to one another.

Comparisons have begun to surface between the two. Other than their connections to the Mavs, though, there simply are not many similarities between Flagg and Doncic.

Doncic is an elite three-level scorer. His defense is, well, questionable at best. Doncic plays the game of basketball with passion, isn't afraid to talk trash and argue with referees, but his effort on the defensive end of the floor played a role in Dallas deciding to move in a different direction. Mavs GM Nico Harrison consistently used the phrase “defense wins championships” to defend moving on from Doncic.

Flagg, meanwhile, features a balanced attack on the floor. He isn't necessarily elite at any one thing (yet), but he's extremely good at almost everything. Flagg features the ability to score from anywhere on the court, he plays the game hard and has a much higher defensive ceiling than Doncic. From purely an athletic standpoint, Flagg gives the Mavs more than Doncic in that sense.

At 6'9″, Flagg gives Dallas versatility as well. He can guard multiple positions. The Mavericks will be able to trust him on opposing teams' best players. Doncic is not a candidate to guard the best player on another team, though.

We aren't here to purely criticize Doncic, however. He is the better offensive player without question. “Luka Magic” is almost impossible to contain.

Flagg can score at all three levels, though. He shot 48.1 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from three-point land in his first (and only) season at Duke. The 18-year-old's offensive game could end up becoming elite at some point down the road.

Luka Doncic and Cooper Flagg are both great players. Comparing Flagg to Doncic is unfair, though. Luka is a guard who focuses on offense, while Flagg — although he can play guard — is a forward with both offensive and defensive prowess.

In the end, the media is going to do what the media does and compare the two players. After all, it's almost as if Doncic is passing the torch to Flagg — even if it's been passed unwillingly since it came to fruition after a trade.

Flagg features the ceiling of an MVP. Doncic failed to win the award with the Mavericks (although he probably could have won it in 2023-24). The comparisons between the two are expected, but that doesn't make them right. Placing that kind of pressure on an 18-year-old doesn't need to happen, yet we know it will.

Regardless, Flagg is focused on what he can control. He isn't worried about outside noise and expectations. Flagg is going to place his attention on working hard and playing the game of basketball to the best of his ability. People will continue to talk, make predictions, draw comparisons and more, but Flagg is simply preparing to begin his NBA career with the Dallas Mavericks.