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 made the announcement in an Instagram post Monday. He called his freshman season the “best year of my life.” He then declared he would officially enter the 2025 NBA Draft. Flagg called it, “just the beginning,” and said he will be part of the Duke brotherhood for life.
Advertisement
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.
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.
Advertisement
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.
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.
Advertisement
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.
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.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Frigid Sunday In Chicago: Browns-Bears To Feature Brutal Winter Weather
Sunday's matchup between the Chicago Bears and the Cleveland Browns at Soldier Field could be one for the record books, with the game starting in single digits and most likely ending in the negatives, per FOX Weather."It's Bear weather," head coach Ben Johnson told FOX 32 Chicago. "It's coming down. I know our guys are excited about it, and we can't wait."Frigid temperatures and harsh conditions are nothing new at Soldier Field. The coldest game recorded there (2 degrees, -13 wind chill) was on Dec. 22, 2008, when Chicago hosted Green Bay on Monday Night Football. The most recent single-digit game at Soldier Field came on Christmas Eve 2022 (9 degrees, -12 wind chill) against Buffalo.The Bears (9-4) are currently fighting for first place in the NFC North, while the Browns (3-10) are aiming to get out of last place […]
NFL Week 15 Live Updates, Scores: Raiders-Eagles, Bills-Pats, Chargers-Chiefs, More
It's Week 15 in the NFL, and it's getting down to the wire for a handful of teams to have a chance at making the postseason. We've got you covered with all the must-see moments from around the league on Sunday. One of the biggest storylines to watch today is centered around the Indianapolis Colts, who are starting 44-year-old Philip Rivers at quarterback in their road matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. The Colts signed Rivers, who retired from the league after the 2020 season, to their practice squad earlier this week in the wake of Daniel Jones' season-ending Achilles injury; backup Anthony Richardson is on IR and rookie Riley Leonard has never made an NFL start. <!--> [-->12:11p ET Kenny Pickett preparing to make first start with Raiders <!-->12:10p ET Previewing the 1 p.m. ET slate --> <!-->]--> Live Coverage […]
Do NFL Team Resumes Predict On-Field Success? Rams, Lions, Bills and More | FOX NFL Kickoff
fox nfl kickoff Video Details Charissa Thompson, Julian Edelman, Charles Woodson, and Jay Glazer played an NFL Blind Resume game, comparing two teams at a time using only their stats and choosing which team they preferred without knowing the identities. 4 MINS AGO・fox nfl kickoff・6:00
Jay Glazer: Colts Still Interested in Signing Daniel Jones as Long-term QB
Despite Daniel Jones' season-ending Achilles tear, he still could be the Indianapolis Colts' quarterback of the future. The Colts would feel comfortable re-signing the pending free agent this offseason, FOX Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer reported."Daniel Jones had surgery earlier this week. It was fine, to the point where they do believe he's going to be back in time for training camp next year," Glazer said on "FOX NFL Kickoff." "The big thing, at least this regime right here, they saw what they needed to with Daniel Jones. He's a free agent, but they do believe, ‘That’s our quarterback of the future.' I do think they're going to try to re-sign him, despite this injury."Prior to tearing his Achilles in the Colts' Week 14 loss to the Jaguars, Jones was one of the biggest surprises in the NFL this season, […]
Why Tom Brady has been IMPRESSED with Drake Maye, Patriots all season 👀 FOX NFL Kickoff
National Football League Video Details Tom Brady joined Gronk and Julian Edelman to discuss the success of the New England Patriots and preview their matchup against the Buffalo Bills. 24 MINS AGO・National Football League・4:34
NFL Confidential: Scouts, Execs on What’s Wrong with Chiefs and If They Can Fix It
Maybe a decade of success and Super Bowl runs has finally caught up to the Chiefs.Deep playoff runs take time, and they undeniably exact a physical toll, and the Chiefs have been doing it for most of the past decade. That includes runs to the Super Bowl in each of the last three seasons. That’s 17 regular-season games, plus three or four playoff games, and then only a couple of months off before they’re back on the field for spring practices.Could all that wear and tear explain Kansas City's struggles this season?FOX Sports NFL reporters Ralph Vacchiano and Eric D. Williams surveyed the league to gauge whether we're witnessing the end of a dynasty. *** Scouts' View: Maybe the Chiefs just need a long restRalph Vacchiano: "They look tired," an executive from an NFC team told me. "That’s what I think every […]
Related
Frigid Sunday In Chicago: Browns-Bears To Feature Brutal Winter Weather
Sunday's matchup between the Chicago Bears and the Cleveland Browns at Soldier Field could be one for the record books, with the game starting in single digits and most likely ending in the negatives, per FOX Weather."It's Bear weather," head coach Ben Johnson told FOX 32 Chicago. "It's coming down. I know our guys are excited about it, and we can't wait."Frigid temperatures and harsh conditions are nothing new at Soldier Field. The coldest game recorded there (2 degrees, -13 wind chill) was on Dec. 22, 2008, when Chicago hosted Green Bay on Monday Night Football. The most recent single-digit game at Soldier Field came on Christmas Eve 2022 (9 degrees, -12 wind chill) against Buffalo.The Bears (9-4) are currently fighting for first place in the NFC North, while the Browns (3-10) are aiming to get out of last place […]
NFL Week 15 Live Updates, Scores: Raiders-Eagles, Bills-Pats, Chargers-Chiefs, More
It's Week 15 in the NFL, and it's getting down to the wire for a handful of teams to have a chance at making the postseason. We've got you covered with all the must-see moments from around the league on Sunday. One of the biggest storylines to watch today is centered around the Indianapolis Colts, who are starting 44-year-old Philip Rivers at quarterback in their road matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. The Colts signed Rivers, who retired from the league after the 2020 season, to their practice squad earlier this week in the wake of Daniel Jones' season-ending Achilles injury; backup Anthony Richardson is on IR and rookie Riley Leonard has never made an NFL start. <!--> [-->12:11p ET Kenny Pickett preparing to make first start with Raiders <!-->12:10p ET Previewing the 1 p.m. ET slate --> <!-->]--> Live Coverage […]
Do NFL Team Resumes Predict On-Field Success? Rams, Lions, Bills and More | FOX NFL Kickoff
fox nfl kickoff Video Details Charissa Thompson, Julian Edelman, Charles Woodson, and Jay Glazer played an NFL Blind Resume game, comparing two teams at a time using only their stats and choosing which team they preferred without knowing the identities. 4 MINS AGO・fox nfl kickoff・6:00
Jay Glazer: Colts Still Interested in Signing Daniel Jones as Long-term QB
Despite Daniel Jones' season-ending Achilles tear, he still could be the Indianapolis Colts' quarterback of the future. The Colts would feel comfortable re-signing the pending free agent this offseason, FOX Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer reported."Daniel Jones had surgery earlier this week. It was fine, to the point where they do believe he's going to be back in time for training camp next year," Glazer said on "FOX NFL Kickoff." "The big thing, at least this regime right here, they saw what they needed to with Daniel Jones. He's a free agent, but they do believe, ‘That’s our quarterback of the future.' I do think they're going to try to re-sign him, despite this injury."Prior to tearing his Achilles in the Colts' Week 14 loss to the Jaguars, Jones was one of the biggest surprises in the NFL this season, […]
Why Tom Brady has been IMPRESSED with Drake Maye, Patriots all season 👀 FOX NFL Kickoff
National Football League Video Details Tom Brady joined Gronk and Julian Edelman to discuss the success of the New England Patriots and preview their matchup against the Buffalo Bills. 24 MINS AGO・National Football League・4:34
NFL Confidential: Scouts, Execs on What’s Wrong with Chiefs and If They Can Fix It
Maybe a decade of success and Super Bowl runs has finally caught up to the Chiefs.Deep playoff runs take time, and they undeniably exact a physical toll, and the Chiefs have been doing it for most of the past decade. That includes runs to the Super Bowl in each of the last three seasons. That’s 17 regular-season games, plus three or four playoff games, and then only a couple of months off before they’re back on the field for spring practices.Could all that wear and tear explain Kansas City's struggles this season?FOX Sports NFL reporters Ralph Vacchiano and Eric D. Williams surveyed the league to gauge whether we're witnessing the end of a dynasty. *** Scouts' View: Maybe the Chiefs just need a long restRalph Vacchiano: "They look tired," an executive from an NFC team told me. "That’s what I think every […]
Be the first to leave a comment