NEW YORK (AFP) — Versatile American college teen star Cooper Flagg was selected first overall in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft on Thursday (Manila time) by the Dallas Mavericks, where he will join a star-laden team already touted as a playoff threat next season.

Flagg, 18, a consensus pick as the top US college player as a freshman at Duke University last season, is the second-youngest player taken first overall.

Superstar LeBron James was eight days younger when he was taken first overall in 2003 by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“It feels surreal,” Flagg said after his name was called at the Brooklyn Nets’ Barclays Center arena, where his family was by his side.

“I’m just playing the moments back in my head, standing up, hearing my name, and it went so fast. It feels like a blur, but I just feel really blessed and honored to be here.”

The Mavericks beat the odds to land the top pick in the draft lottery and as expected grabbed Flagg, who averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocked shots per game for the Blue Devils, who lost to Houston in the semifinals of the NCAA collegiate tournament.

The 6-foot-9 forward from Maine is a two-way playmaker and could be just the player Mavericks fans need to put aside the outrage triggered by the trade of star guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis in February.

That move broke up a squad that had reached the NBA Finals in 2024 and the Mavericks were eliminated in the play-in tournament this year.

But with Flagg now the third No. 1 pick on the Mavs’ roster, alongside Davis and Kyrie Irving, Dallas will be eyeing another deep playoff run.

“I’m looking forward to being successful and winning a lot of games for sure,” Flagg said.

“I keep saying I’m excited to be a sponge, to get down there and just learn, be surrounded by Hall of Fame-caliber guys and just to be able to learn from them.”

The San Antonio Spurs took Rutgers University guard Dylan Harper with the second overall selection — the third straight year the Spurs have had a top-four pick.

In 2023, the Spurs made French star Victor Wembanyama the No. 1 overall selection and last year they took Stephon Castle with the fourth overall pick — both going on to earn Rookie of the Year honors.

Harper, the son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper, averaged 19.4 points per game on 48.4 percent shooting — astonishing numbers for a freshman.

The Philadelphia 76ers, whose litany of injuries this past season included Joe Embiid’s protracted knee trouble that saw his season end in February and groin and knee injuries that cut short Paul George’s season, selected VJ Edgecomb, a native of the Bahamas who played for Baylor University.

Flagg’s Duke teammate Kon Knueppel went to the Charlotte Hornets as the fourth overall pick and Ace Bailey of Rutgers went to Utah at No. 5.