Cooper Flagg has been projected as the NBA’s No. 1 overall pick ever since he began his freshman season at Duke. Thus, it’s no surprise that the 6-foot-9 forward has decided to forgo his final three seasons of college eligibility and declare for the 2025 NBA draft.
Flagg, 18, averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists during his lone season with the Blue Devils. He shot 39% on 135 3-point attempts, while also contributing 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game.
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That performance earned him the Naismith National Player of the Year award, in addition to the Wooden Award and National Player of the Year honors from the Associated Press, National Association of Basketball coaches (NABC) and U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA).
With Flagg fulfilling the enormous expectations that came with being the top player in the 2024 recruiting class, Duke finished with a 35-4 record and 19-1 mark in the ACC with regular season and conference tournament titles. His standout game was a 42-point performance in an 86-78 win over Notre Dame on Jan. 11. That set a Duke and ACC freshman single-game scoring record, surpassing Zion Williamson. Flagg also became the first Blue Devil to score 40 or more since JJ Redick in 2006.
During the NCAA tournament, Flagg scored 30 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 blocks in a Sweet 16 victory over Arizona. He became the first Duke player to tally 30 points, five-plus rebounds and five-plus assists in an NCAA tournament game.
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The tournament run was expected to finish with a national championship, but ended with a loss to Houston in the Final Four. Flagg scored 27 points, shooting 3-of-4 on 3s, with seven rebounds and four assists.
In his latest mock draft, Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor projects Flagg as the No. 1 selection. If the NBA standings determined the draft order without a draft lottery, he would go to the Utah Jazz. The Jazz share the best chance of getting the No. 1 pick with the Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets, according to Tankathon.
Though Flagg has declared for the NBA Draft, he has until May 28 to decide whether or not to withdraw. The league allows prospects to go through the combine process and choose to return to school if they don’t like where they might be selected or prefer to play another year in college.
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In February, Flagg sounded as if he might consider returning to Durham for his sophomore season.
“This is the only way I’ve ever known college. That’s how I see it,” he continued. “I really wouldn’t know how kids felt before, and if this feels different, if this feels more like being a professional. I mean, it’s the same thing for kids in high school, too, getting paid a lot of money. I don’t know. I feel pretty normal.”
That was nearly two months ago, however. The realities of being the No. 1 overall pick and the fortune that comes with it, including starting the clock toward a significant contract extension after his third NBA season, is now much closer.
The 2025 NBA Draft will be held June 25-26 in New York.