Cooper Flagg’s terrible news to NBA franchises leaves fans in shock: “NIL money hitting good”

Cooper Flagg may consider returning to Duke for another year which would be terrible news for a number of NBA franchises.

Cooper Flagg’s terrible news to NBA franchises leaves fans in shock: “NIL money hitting good”

Cooper Flagg may return to Duke for another year

The number of unicorns entering the NBA over the last few years has been astounding. After the immense pre-draft hype surrounding Victor Wembanyama in 2023, the 2025 NBA draft is set to see another generational talent with Duke’s Cooper Flagg. The hype behind Flagg has been surreal, with most bottom-tier teams in the NBA competing to capture Flagg in the draft. But they may be in for a rude awakening.

The Blue Devils star has been a sensation in the NCAA, creating history across the board for Duke. He has fit into Coach Jon Scheyer’s system seamlessly, and his chemistry with the team on and off the court has been great. But this might spell bad news for a number of NBA teams who have been aiming to target Cooper Flagg in the draft this year, as the 18-year-old star may consider returning to Duke.

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Sh*t… I want to come back next year. I always wanted to play in college at the highest level and compete for a national championship. That sort of thing is what I dreamed about.

Cooper Flagg told The Athletic

The freshman for the Blue Devils has been putting up historic numbers so far. Flagg leads his team in all five major statistical categories with 19.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.6 steals. If these numbers sustain, Flagg would become the first player in over 25 years to record such an achievement in the ACC, let alone as a freshman.

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With the type of performances he has been putting up and the overall hype around his potential, Cooper Flagg has been deemed the consensus No. 1 overall pick in a loaded 2025 Draft class. But if he were to return to the Blue Devils to play another year under Coach Scheyer, a number of franchises like the Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz would be left in shock after their horrific seasons so far.

Fans left stunned by Cooper Flagg’s NBA draft admission

Few prospects in NBA history have received the type of hype that Cooper Flagg has garnered. He has been termed as the next great American star to enter the NBA, with nicknames like ‘The Maine Event’ and ‘The Great White Hope’ being thrown around for the 18-year-old freshman.

With many fans in the NBA looking forward to flag playing for their teams with a lucky roll in the draft lottery, his desire to play another year of collegiate basketball has left fans stunned.

Fans of a number of franchises like the Wizards, Jazz and even the Toronto Raptors have been desperately looking towards the 2025 NBA draft to potentially change the course of their team’s futures by landing Cooper Flagg. However, if he does indeed choose to return to college for another year, the consolation prize for NBA teams will not be too bad either.

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The 2025 draft class features some really strong prospects. In the absence of Flagg, teams will have to pick from a spread of talented players like Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey from Rutgers, who are projected to go 2nd and 3rd, respectively, in most mock drafts. Duke star Kon Knueppel or Baylor star VJ Edgecombe may also be dark horse candidates to slide into the top 3 in the event of Flagg pulling out of the draft.