2028 Draft: It’s not out of the question that Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje can reach the level of predecessors Cooper Flagg or Cameron Boozer in terms of college impact. Some scouts view him as that caliber of talent, although he will arrive at Duke a year earlier and can’t be held to the same standard right away. The dearth of elite bigs coming up through the domestic ranks makes Boumtje-Boumtje’s arrival all the more notable — not just for the future of the NBA, but quite possibly for USA Basketball, which will have to contend with Victor Wembanyama over the next decade-plus. Boumtje-Boumtje looks like the clear front-runner for No. 1 two years from now. How he adjusts to college at 17 years old will be fascinating, but expect him to be a quick study. — 8/20/2026 ESPN
DLLS Mavs: Mavericks star Cooper Flagg says he’s been in the gym with Kyrie Irving this summer! ? “Been able to get in the gym with Kyrie this offseason….Kyrie is obviously one of the greats so just to be able to learn from him on the fly.” #MFFL — 8/17/2026 x.com
As a passionate card collector, Williams is aware of the enormity of his find, but he’s still coming to terms with it. “Who would have thought?” Williams said. “It still hasn’t really sunk in. I know what I got, but I dunno, it’s surreal.” — 8/15/2026 ESPN
A machine shop owner and father of five who lives in Clover, Williams has been collecting cards on and off since he was 12 years old. Prior to this, his most valuable card pull was a card of Barcelona and Spain star Lamine Yamal that he sold for $4,500 — although, he said, a year later he saw it for upward of $70,000 at auction. Williams’ Flagg card will almost certainly be worth significantly more. A similar card featuring Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes fetched $1.1 million last year. The Mavericks have offered a bounty to the winner that includes season tickets for 32 years, a signed game-worn Flagg jersey and a photograph with the star. Williams says he has not yet decided what to do with the card. “It’s in a safe place for right now,” Williams told ESPN on Friday. “I’m just sort of trying to lay low.” — 8/15/2026 ESPN
The proud owner of Dallas Mavericks star Cooper Flagg’s 1-of-1 numbered rookie debut patch autograph card has come forward. Fifty-year-old Jason Williams of South Carolina acquired the card after spending $515 to purchase a spot on the stream of RhodyBreakers, a division of the Baseball Cards of Rhode Island retail shop that opens boxes of trading cards on a livestream for clients. On Monday night, Williams had the stream up on a big screen as his wife and son were getting ready for bed. “They slid that card over and I just slid to the floor crying,” Williams told ESPN on Friday. “… It took me about five seconds to realize what I was looking at on that screen.” — 8/15/2026 ESPN
The card, which Flagg signed during Fanatics Fest last month, has drawn significant attention — including from the Dallas Mavericks, who offered a “bounty” in exchange for it. The jersey Flagg wore in the first half of his NBA debut — from which the card’s patch is made — sold for $1 million in February. A similar exclusive card featuring Pittsburgh Pirates star pitcher Paul Skenes sold for $1.11 million last year, leading to speculation that Flagg’s card could fetch at least as much in an auction. — 8/11/2026 ESPN
rhodybreakers: We HAD to come back to IG for this one – UNBELIEVABLE!!!! Cooper Flagg Rookie Debut Patch Auto 1/1!!!! Let’s goooo!!! Hit in our 3 hobby box break on this Monday night! Congrats! • Live on M/W/F nights! www.rhodybreakers.com — 8/11/2026 Instagram
Marc Stein: The Magic are hiring Josh Broghamer away from Dallas to add him to Sean Sweeney’s first coaching staff in Orlando, @TheSteinLine has learned. Broghamer was Cooper Flagg’s summer league coach in July 2025 and ran Flagg’s pregame workouts last season as part of Jason Kidd’s staff. — 8/7/2026 x.com
The Dallas Mavericks are offering a “bounty” to whoever unpacks Cooper Flagg’s debut patch autograph card via a package similar to that of a blockbuster NBA trade. Dallas announced the proposed trade Thursday, when the card officially hit packs, offering a plethora of items for the lucky fan who finds it. Whoever retrieves the 1-of-1 Topps card can deliver it to the franchise for a package that includes two Mavericks season premium lower level tickets for 32 years, a signed, game-worn Flagg rookie jersey plus a postgame photo with the star. — 8/6/2026 ESPN
Marc Stein: Not sure who actually believed this one … but for those asking: There’s no golf summit scheduled tomorrow in LA. Luka Dončić is in Slovenia and will be for the whole offseason. Cooper Flagg is training in Maine and occasionally Dallas all summer. — 8/3/2026 x.com
