Mavs Bench Rookie Sensation Flagg in 2025 Summer League

In April 2025, the Dallas Mavericks were among the first teams to shut down a star rookie during the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. The Mavericks' first overall pick, Cooper Flagg, had a disappointing debut against the Los Angeles Lakers, scoring just 10 points on 5/21 shooting. However, Flagg bounced back in the second game against the San Antonio Spurs, scoring 31 points on 10/20 shooting.

This second performance was enough for the Mavs, who decided to pull Flagg from the remainder of the Summer League. Dallas finished just 2-3 in Vegas, as even with Flagg, they didn't have enough offensive firepower.

The Mavericks' decision to bench Flagg was not an isolated incident. The San Antonio Spurs pulled Dylan Harper, who had been dealing with a groin injury, the Philadelphia 76ers pulled VJ Edgecombe, and the Utah Jazz pulled Ace Bailey after a hip flexor injury. Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green found this trend "fascinating," noting that players often get "bashed for 'load management'" in the regular season, but teams have no issue "shutting down" rookies during the Summer League, which has no impact on the regular season or postseason.