Cooper Flagg’s bond with his former Duke Blue Devils teammates remains as strong as ever.
On Tuesday, the Dallas Mavericks rookie forward got reunited with his ex-Duke teammate, Khaman Maluach, during a game against the Phoenix Suns at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz. Although the Suns rookie didn’t see the floor, he was spotted chatting with Flagg before tipoff.
The 19-year-old Maluach seldom sees action with the Suns, and when he does, it’s always for a few minutes. Still, Flagg believes the best is yet to come for the South Sudanese.
“He’s one of my brothers,” Flagg said of Maluach after the game, via Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News.
“We had an incredible year last year, and we spent a lot of time together away from the court…I have no doubt that he’s going to be a great pro for a long time.”
Flagg knows a great deal about what Maluach is capable of, as he played with him for a season with the Blue Devils during the 2024-25 college basketball campaign. With the two in the fold, Duke was widely viewed as a favorite to win the NCAA title, but the Blue Devils ended up losing in the Final Four to the Houston Cougars.
Still, both Flagg and Maluach managed to be high picks in the NBA draft. Flagg was selected first overall by the Mavs, while Maluach was taken 10th by the Houston Rockets, who later sent him to the Suns via a complex trade involving seven teams.
As for the game on Tuesday, Maluach’s Suns topped the Mavericks, who got 27 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists from the 19-year-old Flagg in a 120-111 loss.
