Former Duke star Cooper Flagg and many of his peers are preparing for the 2025 NBA draft on Wednesday. After months of anticipation, it is time to see where this year’s class of great young players end up. For Cooper Flagg, there is not much doubt. Unless there is a shocking trade, the Dallas Mavericks will select Flagg with the first pick in the draft.
On Tuesday night, the NBA Instagram account made a post with draft portraits for many of the projected top picks, including Cooper Flagg. Flagg is featured in the first image of the post.
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Fans reacted to the photos, including one praising Flagg for his new look with a beard.
“I love cooper rocking the beard fr,” one fan wrote.
“Bro already having beard before being drafted?” one fan commented.
“See how young these guys look? Remember that when your bashing them in their FIRST YEAR. They’re still maturing as humans,” one fan added.
Fans continued to react in the comments.
“Coop got sum facial hair now??? It’s so over now,” one fan wrote.
“Thought cooper was jonas valancincinciuncas when he was younger lmao,” one fan commented.
“This class seem not too flashy and all business,” one fan added.
Cooper Flagg is in a unique situation as a projected first pick
As the projected first pick in the 2025 NBA draft, Cooper Flagg has high expectations on him. That is not unusual. Every first pick in the draft has high expectations. However, what is interesting about Flagg is the situation he is heading into in the NBA. Barring a massive surprise, Flagg will join the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.
The Dallas Mavericks are not the average first overall picking team. Usually, those teams are among the worst in the league because they needed to have a horrible season to get the first pick. However, the Mavericks narrowly missed this past season because of injuries and unexpected trades.
The Mavericks are a season removed from making the NBA Finals and the management still has hopes they can contend in the coming years. While Dallas made a shocking trade, moving superstar Luka Doncic to the LA Lakers for Anthony Davis, they still have an elite group, led by Davis and Kyrie Irving. As a result, Flagg could be joining a team that is immediately in contention next season, which is unusual for a No. 1 draft pick.
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