When the Dallas Mavericks took Duke freshman phenom Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft last month, it felt like a moment of vindication for some fans. The Mavericks, who traded away franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers just four months prior,

CHET HOLMGREN AND THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER ... The Thunder grew from upstarts to champions in the blink of an eye. Now, their stars' bank accounts are growing, too. Chet Holmgren agreed to a fully guaranteed five-year maximum rookie extension worth up to $250 million.