Former Duke Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg is projected to be the first pick in the 2025 NBA draft. While there are some years where it is not clear who will be the first pick, this is not one of those years. If Flagg is not selected first by the Dallas Mavericks, it would be one of the biggest shocks in recent NBA history.
When Flagg is selected, he will become one of the youngest players to be drafted in recent NBA history. By getting drafted at 18 years old, Flagg is following in the footsteps of one of the NBA’s greats, LeBron James. At the time James was drafted in 2003, he was 18 years, 5 months, and 27 days old. No first pick has been younger than him since.
A #1 overall pick at the age of 18.
Happy Birthday, LeBron. pic.twitter.com/CaiwKgX1Dl
— NBA Draft (@NBADraft) December 30, 2017
The youngest player since LeBron James to be the No. 1 pick was Dwight Howard. Howard was drafted the year after James, in the 2004 NBA draft. He was selected by the Orlando Magic and was 18 years, 6 months, and 16 days old.
However, Cooper Flagg is poised to pass Howard and become the youngest No. 1 pick since LeBron James. If Flagg is drafted first on Wednesday, he will be the youngest No. 1 pick in over 20 years, being born on December 21, 2006, since the 2025 NBA draft begins on June 25. As a result, Flagg will be 18 years, 6 months and 4 days old, making him 12 days younger than Howard than when he was drafted.
Cooper Flagg Leads an Impressive 2025 NBA Draft Class From the Duke Blue Devils
One of the most impressive things about Cooper Flagg is that he is going to be the No. 1 pick despite being one of the youngest players in the 2025 NBA draft class. However, another impressive aspect of his game is how he was able to stand out despite being surrounded by star talents at Duke.
The Duke Blue Devils had an incredible roster last season. While they did not win the national championship, they produced three players who are likely going to be selected in the top 10 of the 2025 NBA draft. Joining Flagg will likely be Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach.
Knueppel is projected by many draft outlets to be a top-10 and possibly a top-five pick. Khaman Maluach is expected to go after Knueppel but is still nearly unanimously agreed upon to be a top-10 pick. Teams like the New Orleans Pelicans, Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors are teams that could target Maluach towards the end of the top 10 of the first round.
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