Top Picks Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper set to Meet in NBA Debuts

For the first time in a decade and second time in NBA history, the top two picks in the NBA Draft will sqaure off in their professional debuts when Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper meet in late October.

The NBA's opening night is set for Oct. 21 this year, and while the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs aren't playing in the league's first set of contests, the two will matchup on Wednesday, Oct. 22. Asuming Flagg and Harper are both healthy, the 2025 campaign will mark the first time since 2015 that the No. 1 and No. 2 picks have met in their NBA debuts.

In 2015, Karl-Anthony Towns and D'Angelo Russell met in the pair's debut after Towns went No. 1 and Russell was picked No. 2 overall. Aside from that matchup, the top two picks in the most recent NBA Draft have never met in the regular season debut of both teams, until this year.

The scheduled matchup between Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper is set to mark the second time since 1966 that the top two picks in the same NBA Draft will face each other in the first career regular-season game for both players.

The previous instance was in 2015 (Karl-Anthony Towns… https://t.co/03X8bYhipw pic.twitter.com/X0NwUtW9ZC
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) August 12, 2025

The contest is set for 8:30 p.m. CT, and will be televised on ESPN following a showdown between Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks.

While the Mavericks and Spurs each roster stars other than their high-profile rookies, the battle between Flagg and Harper is a unique storyline that could have factored into the NBA decision. Alongside the rookies' matchup, superstar big men Victor Wembanyama and Anthony Davis meet for a matchup that is sure to draw intrigue around the league.

For fans of the draft and each team, the matchup will be an introduction into the Flagg and Harper's roles on their new teams. Each player spent time on the court with a few of their teammates during the summer league, but the teams' regular season rosters will be much different.

Even if Flagg and Harper are quiet in their debuts, both players will likely settle in throughout their rookie seasons and become more of a factor than they are in game one. On rosters with less talent, Flagg and Harper may be more prominent early in their careers, but with solid pieces around each of the top two picks, it would not be surprising to see Flagg and Harper take a backseat early in the year.

There is also a chance, though, that the two are able to make a big impact early on.

Flagg averaged 20.5 points, five rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals and a block in two summer league games. Harper tallied 16 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in his lone summer league appearance.

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