Former Duke star Cooper Flagg is expected to be the first pick in the 2025 NBA draft. After a stellar freshman year with the Blue Devils, Flagg is unanimously agreed upon to be the top prospect in the draft.
On Monday, former NBA player and four-time champion John Salley spoke about how Flagg is already built for the NBA.
“Once again, it’s why he needs Jason Kidd,” Salley said on Vlad TV. “Okay, so Jason Kidd had Luca. It’s always good that you get a coach that understands, no matter how talented you may be, you’re still going to have a learning curve coming into the NBA. Flagg, he already knows. He’s been ready. He’s been being trained to be a pro since he was 12 years old.
“So, that’s why you’re starting to see it happen, America started realizing we needed to farm as many athletes, like they do in Europe. So a lot of kids have been trained, ready to play pro ball.”
Salley is someone who knows what it takes to win in the NBA. Although he was never an all-star, he was part of four NBA championship teams. He won with the Detroit Pistons back-to-back in 1989 and 1990. He then won with the Chicago Bulls in 1996 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000.
Cooper Flagg is projected to be the first pick in the 2025 NBA draft
Unless there is a massive surprise on draft night, Cooper Flagg will be the first pick in the 2025 NBA draft. There are some years when it is not 100% clear which player will be the first pick. 2020 is a good example as Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman and LaMelo Ball were all viewed as possible first overall contenders.
However, there are other years when it is clear to most teams and draft analysts who is the best prospect in the draft. This is one of those years, as no player during the 2024-25 NCAA season elevated their play to compete with Flagg for the first spot.
As a result, Flagg will become a member of the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks are in an interesting spot after shockingly trading away superstar Luka Doncic this past season. They have a team that is built to win now with Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving as its stars. However, injuries forced them out of the playoffs and into the draft lottery.
If Cooper Flagg can enter the NBA and have an immediate impact, it could make the Dallas Mavericks immediate contenders in the Western Conference next season.
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