The Dallas Mavericks are shutting down Cooper Flagg for the remainder of the NBA summer league, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, ending the rookie star’s Las Vegas stint after just two games.
The Mavs opted to shut down Flagg after the No. 1 draft pick scored 31 points in Saturday’s game against No. 2 pick Dylan Harper and the San Antonio Spurs.
Flagg shot 10-for-21 from the floor in a bounce-back performance from his summer league debut against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, when he struggled for just 10 points on 5-of-21 shooting.
“I think it’s a new environment, new setting,” Flagg said after Saturday’s 76-69 loss to San Antonio. “They want to see me be aggressive and do that type of stuff.
“I think I did that a lot better today, just getting to the line, getting fouled, and that helped me to get comfortable and get settled in early. Still missed a bunch of free throws. I know my mom probably wasn’t very happy with that.”
Mavericks summer league coach Josh Broghamer said Flagg “just continues to make the right plays” and praised the 6-foot-9 rookie for his work “off the ball” during Saturday’s game.
The Mavs’ decision to shut down Flagg was first reported Sunday by veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein.