First Mavericks-Spurs matchup to make NBA History with Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper

The Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs will meet in the first game of the season for the third season in a row, but this one comes with different stakes. The Dallas Mavericks have the first pick from the 2025 NBA Draft, Cooper Flagg, while the Spurs have the second overall pick, Dylan Harper.

According to NBA Communications, this will "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 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

Flagg and Harper matched up in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Flagg's second game and Harper's first, as he dealt with a groin injury.

Cooper Flagg had an incredible performance in that game, making up for a lackluster first performance against Bronny James and the Los Angeles Lakers to score 31 points on 10/20 shooting. The Mavericks lost the game, but it was in no way Flagg's fault.

Harper had 16 points and 6 rebounds in that game, a great performance for someone on a minutes restriction. He ended up playing just under 20 minutes in that game.

This could be a good way for the in-state rivalry between the Mavericks and Spurs to spark again. Dirk Nowitzki and Tim Duncan had legendary battles throughout the 2000s and into the 2010s, but Dallas has dominated the series recently, winning 19 of the last 23 matchups stretching back to the 2019-20 season.

The Spurs still lead the all-time series by more than 30 games, mostly because of how badly the Spurs dominated the Mavericks in the '90s (36-9).

Jul 12, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) looks on against the San Antonio Spurs in the second quarter of their game at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

A Congregation of First Overall Picks in the First Game of the Season

Although Kyrie Irving will be out for this matchup as he recover from ACL surgery, this game will have at least three first overall picks; Flagg, Victor Wembanyama, and Anthony Davis.

Wembanyama returns from a deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder that forced an early end to last season, but he's fully healthy by all reports, even if he isn't participating in the FIBA EuroBasket tournament.

Anthony Davis is entering his 14th season in the NBA, hoping to be much healthier than he was last season. He got hurt in one of his final games as a Laker, and he returned to the floor too soon once he returned from injury, forcing him to miss nearly two months with an adductor strain. He's also had a procedure this offseason to repair a detached retina.

Stick with MavericksGameday for more FREE coverage of the Dallas Mavericks throughout the offseason

Follow MavericksGameday on Twitter and Austin Veazey on Twitter

More Dallas Mavericks News

Kyrie Irving makes massive decision on his future with Mavericks

Mavericks sign key piece to $54 million extension amid trade rumors

BREAKING: Mavericks officially select Cooper Flagg first overall in 2025 NBA Draft

Sequence between Cooper Flagg, Bronny James goes viral during Mavericks-Lakers