Cooper Flagg NBA Draft: 3 best fits for Duke standout

Duke star Cooper Flag has been making the headlines lately after his recent announcement to enter the 2025 NBA Draft for the upcoming 2025-25 season.

Cooper Flagg NBA Draft: 3 best fits for Duke standout

Cooper Flagg

Since the start of his freshman year at Duke, Cooper Flagg has been predicted to be the first overall pick in the NBA Draft. The 6-foot-9 forward’s decision to put himself forward for the 2025 NBA Draft is therefore not surprising.

On Monday, Flagg announced the news on Instagram. Flagg dubbed his freshman year as the “best year of my life.” Then he announced that he would formally enter the NBA Draft in 2025. Flagg described it as “just the beginning,” adding that he will always be a member of the Duke fraternity.

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When they first join the NBA, most rookies are defensive projects. Flagg is one of the best defensive talents on the rise in the game. With a rapidly growing jump shot, he will be a fairly sophisticated playmaker for the role when he joins the NBA.

During his only season with the Blue Devils, 18-year-old Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. In addition to generating 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game, he hit 39% on 135 3-point tries. Now, with the Duke star entering the 2025 NBA Draft, all questions arise about which NBA side would be the perfect fit for Flagg in the league. So, let us take a look at the top 3 best fits for the Duke standout:

1. San Antonio Spurs:

For the next ten years, Victor Wembanyama and Flagg combined may be game-over for all teams in the NBA. They are about as well suited to each other as two large men can be. Of course, Wembanyama is a rim protector for generations. Flagg is more comfortable covering more territory on the perimeter as a forward, but he will eventually play some center in the NBA. Well, with Wembanyama at his back, he can go crazy.

Although the Spurs have been poor for over a decade in the NBA, one cannot forget, they are 5-time NBA champions. The franchise is in one of the biggest building stages. Even though they are becoming older, the individuals who created their five champions are still in the organization.

One would want to hand over an ability like Flagg’s to these individuals. Wembanyama and Flagg would make up one of the most intriguing young front courts in NBA history if they return healthy for the upcoming campaign. Before long, they would be vying for rings. Our obvious number one is the Spurs.

2. Philadelphia 76ers:

If the Philadelphia 76ers were to get rid of their stars like Joel Embiid and Paul George going forward into the 2025-26 NBA season, acquiring Cooper Flagg would be a no-brainer. The best guard Flagg might realistically have as a teammate the coming year is Tyrese Maxey, who is still available for Philadelphia.

Depending on how far Flagg ends up going, he is more than capable of soaking up plays early in his career while gradually giving up usage. In addition to being an excellent 3-point shooter and being able to function without the ball, Maxey has learned other skills from Embiid and his veteran teammates that would help Flagg.

Today, Daryl Morey‘s stock is at its lowest point ever as a general manager. However, this will be his first season below .500 in his 18 years as a lead basketball decision-maker. Given how awful this season has been, Flagg wouldn’t be forced to endure an unpleasant rebuild here. He would be joining a team that has a general manager with a track record of creating winners, as well as at least one other key player and perhaps a few more.

3. Utah Jazz:

On Flagg’s timeline, the Jazz don’t have as many well-known young players as the Hornets. They also lack the depth of key players that Portland has, and they most definitely don’t have the win-now potential of the top two teams in our rankings. Compared to any other squad that can seriously compete for the signature of Cooper Flagg, they possess flexibility.

When it comes to incoming draft picks, the Jazz are only matched by the Thunder. The Jazz possesses enough firepower to get almost any kind of partner that Flagg could require. Perhaps more significantly, Danny Ainge, the Jazz’s head basketball executive, has assembled several winners. Interestingly, the Jazz also have the highest odds (14%) for the no.1 pick to land Flagg among all other teams in the NBA.

In theory, the Jazz currently have all three starting frontcourt spots taken by Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, and John Collins. But that’s not a terrible thing. They are all three very different types of players. In addition to being an experiment, Flagg’s rookie campaign would allow the Jazz to work out their backcourt.

All said and done, the upcoming NBA 2025 Draft will be one to remember for Cooper Flagg and his family.