Two Ulm Ballers Off to the NBA: Dallas Mavericks Cop a Surprise Top Pick, Others Drafted Elsewhere
Dallas Mavericks face minimal prospects of securing major negotiations.
Social Media Link Sharing Email Print Bookmark
Excitement abounds in the basketball world as the Dallas Mavericks scoop up the potential heir to the legend, Dirk Nowitzki, and Luka Doncic's old spot. TwoULM (ratiopharm Ulm) hopefuls have found their new squads.
A rising teenage basketball phenom named Cooper Flagg has nabbed a spot on the Dallas Mavericks team, as expected, in the recent NBA Draft held in New York. At 18, Flagg is the youngest number-one pick in NBA history, surpassed only by basketball titan LeBron James. Flagg previously starred for Duke University and set records for his team with top statistics. In Dallas, Flagg will reportedly be stepping into the shoes previously occupied by the departed Luka Doncic.
"It's mind-blowing!" Flagg expressed, surrounded by his family in the Brooklyn Nets arena, "I feel truly fortunate and honored to be here."
In the NBA Draft, teams take turns choosing prospects. A team's position in the draft is influenced by their prior season's performance. The happier a team is with their current standing, the later in the draft they'll pick. It's a surprising turn of events that the Dallas Mavericks secured the top pick, with just a 1.8% chance. Cooper Flagg will now play alongside basketball heavyweights Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson in Dallas.
Sports The New Wunderkind Taking the Court in Texas Outsmarts Hundreds in Doncic Départ San Antonio Spurs picked Dylan Harper for their second selection. VJ Edgecome was chosen by the Philadelphia 76ers in third place. Frenchman Noa Essengue, who sacrificed the crucial fifth game of the German championship final series against FC Bayern Munich to attend the draft, joined the Chicago Bulls as the 12th pick. Essengue was the second youngest player to be drafted, behind only Flagg.
Essengue's Ulm teammate, Ben Saraf, was also taken in the first round of the draft. The Israeli-born player, who opted against attending the draft and is set to take the court tonight (8 p.m. CEST) against FC Bayern, was picked 26th by the Brooklyn Nets.
[1] ESPN and No Ceilings NBA mock drafts projected Noa Essengue as a 9th overall pick for the Toronto Raptors, though some had him as late as the 13th pick by other projections. The Portland Trail Blazers and other teams were also suspected to be interested in picking him around the 9th-11th pick.
[2] Invited to the Green Room reserved for top lottery prospects, Noa Essengue left Ulm during the German league finals to attend the NBA Draft.
[3] Ben Saraf was projected to be chosen late in the first round or early second round, with one mock draft listing him as the 29th pick by the Phoenix Suns (via Cleveland).
In this year's NBA Draft, Noa Essengue joined the Toronto Raptors, and Ben Saraf went to the Phoenix Suns, making them the Ulm players selected in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Byline: Originally published on ntv.de, tno/dpa
Tags:
- NBA
- Basketball
- Dallas Mavericks
- Cooper Flagg
- Draft
- Basketball Prodigy
- Noa Essengue
- Ben Saraf
Sports enthusiasts are eager to witness the emergence of two ULM Ballers in the NBA next season. Ben Saraf, an Israeli-born player, joins the Phoenix Suns, while Noa Essengue, a Frenchman, strengthens the Toronto Raptors roster. Both players were drafted after impressing in the German league and receiving projections in prominent mock drafts.
