In the summertime of 2023, Cooper Flagg was reclassified in highschool. This allowed him to graduate a yr early and develop into eligible for the 2025 NBA Draft.
After graduating from highschool in 2024, Flagg attended Duke College to play school basketball. Flagg grew to become a family title in his solely season, profitable the Nasmyth Participant of the Yr Award in 2024-25. There was some hypothesis that the 18-year-old would return to Duke for his second season. Nonetheless, Flagg opted to enter the 2025 NBA Draft, calling it “the very best choice in hindsight.”
Cooper Flagg is pleased along with his choice to declare for the 2025 NBA Draft
All NBA groups had the identical aim. It is about profitable the flag.@Cooper_Flagg Seems on the quilt of “Sports activities Illustrated” earlier than the draft 🔥 https://t.co/kd4F2qxZGO pic.twitter.com/aU39YrctYX
— Sports activities Illustrated (@SInow) June 18, 2025
Duke’s Cooper Flagg was not too long ago interviewed by Sports activities Illustrated’s Chris Mannix. Flagg was requested intensive questions concerning the draft course of and the selections he made alongside the best way. After the Blue Devils’ season ended, Flagg launched an official assertion saying, “I hope to return subsequent yr. Actions converse louder than phrases, and that was true on this case. Whereas returning to Duke for the 2025-26 season was an possibility for Flagg, he knew getting into the 2025 NBA Draft was the sensible alternative.”
The gifted ahead stated if he may return to the identical group subsequent yr, he would “100 per cent” come again. That wasn’t the fact for Duke, however Flagg selected to make the choice that was finest for him. He’s the consensus No. 1 choose and it could be silly to not enter the draft now. Flagg reclassified in highschool to be eligible for the 2025 draft. Rookies can be in a novel state of affairs in 2025 and 2026.
Dallas is not precisely a rebuilding group. Their roster has a variety of expertise to win proper now, and Flagg provides to that. He’ll be a part of Klay Thompson, PJ Washington and Anthony Davis. The Mavericks are one yr away from showing within the NBA Finals. Luka Doncic grew to become the cornerstone of that roster. He was traded to the Lakers, however Dallas struck gold and obtained the No. 1 choose within the 2025 NBA Draft. Nico Harrison may reset the franchise and set a generational outlook on Cooper Flagg.
