Cooper Flagg is officially heading to the NBA. There have been reports swirling lately about whether the Duke sensation will go pro or return to Duke for one more year, but the Naismith Men’s College Basketball Player of the Year winner has now clarified his future.
After one dominant season at Duke, the Maine native has decided to enter the draft. Flagg posted a video announcing his decision on his Instagram page on Monday morning. He is widely expected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, regardless of which team wins the NBA Draft lottery.
5 Possible Landing Spots for Cooper Flagg
While a lottery will be held on May 12 to determine who picks where, Utah, Washington, Charlotte, New Orleans, and Philadelphia currently own the league’s five worst records. It is almost certain that Flagg will end up with one of these five franchises.
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Utah Jazz
The Jazz currently have the worst record in the NBA, and getting Flagg will surely be a blessing for a franchise that has been struggling since sending Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Jazz would have a new face to the franchise, who, along with the roster that he joins, gives them reason to at least aspire for a berth in the NBA Play-in Tournament next season.
Washington Wizards
The Wizards are currently very bad. They need a player to pinpoint as a future star as Alex Sarr who was the overall second pick hasn’t lived up to his potentials yet. Sarr has shown his potential in bits and Bilal Coulibaly is another youngster that is beginning to be productive.
Adding Flagg to these crop of talented young stars could project the wizards into a force to reckon with.He’s a versatile scorer who can play in isolation and has the superstar upside that the current roster doesn’t have.
New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans are a team that has been plagued by injuries. More often than not, their poster boy, Zion Williamson, spends more time on the treatment table than on the court.
If the Pelicans get Flagg, he could be the focal point of their offense, and he would fit seamlessly with versatile Dejounte Murray, a trio of continually blossoming wings in Trey Murphy, Herbert Jones, and Jordan Hawkins.
Although Pelicans might have to move on from Williamson for Flagg to be properly integrated.
Philadelphia 76ers
This season is a disappointing one per Philadelphia standards. They are a regular playoffs team but now find themselves with a potential lottery pick. This downfall is largely due to fitness issues surrounding their all-star duo Joel Embild and Paul George.
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Adding Flagg to Embiid, George, and Tyrese Maxey will make for an insane roster in terms of talent, but Flagg is too generational to be a fourth option. The 76ers would have to move one of Embiid or George on and build the team around Maxey and Flagg.
Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets are a squad of very talented youngsters, but they seem to be lacking one final piece. Brandon Miller is a former overall number two pick, and LaMelo Ball is an all-star level player, but the Hornets have posted a losing record for three years in a row.
Adding Flagg to this roster could be the missing piece, as he doesn’t have to worry about carrying the team’s entire offense. Ball is accustomed to taking on the scoring burden, and Flagg can just let the game come to him naturally.
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