ESPN Draft expert gives Cooper Flagg verdict ahead of Duke superstar’s NBA sojourn

Cooper Flagg is becoming a prohibitive #1 draft pick choice for NBA teams ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft, according to ESPN's Jonathan Givony.

ESPN Draft expert gives Cooper Flagg verdict ahead of Duke superstar’s NBA sojourn

Cooper Flagg may return to Duke for another year, but he's ready for his NBA dream

Cooper Flagg has been the standout college basketball player of the men’s NCAA basketball season so far. The Duke freshman has been imperious in every role he’s been cast in, showcasing all-round abilities as an athlete, decision-maker, defender, scorer and passer that puts him into an elite pantheon of prospects for the NBA.

The 18-year-old was a highly recruited high school player who spent his junior and senior HS seasons at Montverde. Flagg proved himself to be a dominant two-way player in south Florida before his advent at Duke. Before this, the then-17-year-old made a splash at Team USA’s camp for the Paris Olympics. His play earned him plaudits from the likes of Kevin Durant and other senior team members.

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Flagg recently raised eyebrows with his comments about wanting to return to Duke after this season. However, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, the premier NBA draft expert in sports media, seems to believe that those are fleeting words. Speaking to Chiney Ogwumike on ESPN, Givony waxed eloquent about the swingman’s advanced feel for the game and his NBA-readiness:

He’s put a stranglehold on the #1 pick conversation over the past six weeks. He’s emerged as the best player in college basketball on arguably the best team in the country. And he’s doing it at 18 years old, which is mindblowing. You look at how advanced his feel for the game is, how hard he plays, and all the many ways that he impacts winning on both ends of the floor.

Jonathan Givony on Cooper Flagg

Givony has every reason to feel this way. Over the course of 26 games for Duke, Flagg is averaging 19.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.2 steals. He is hitting 48.6% of his field goal attempts, 36.6% from the 3-point line and 81.3% on free throws. He has displayed the ability to take over games down the stretch in important conference games – his showing against UNC was exemplary in this regard.

How Cooper Flagg can hit the NBA ground running

One of the most important factors that shape players’ NBA careers is the situation where they get drafted. The Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans, Charlotte Hornets and Utah Jazz are the likeliest landing spots for Flagg. Given his defensive versatility and ability to switch, he could slot seamlessly in as a secondary playmaker and wing defender for any of those teams and instantly give them a 95th percentile athlete for opponents to reckon with.

Flagg is known to be risk-averse and smart with his shot selection, which should hold him in good stead. His ability to force turnovers, run out in transition and make plays should have NBA coaches’ mouths watering.

If Flagg is able to secure a #1 draft pick, he would be the fourth player from the program to get this honor in the last 15 years. He would join the ranks of Kyrie Irving, Zion Williamson and Paolo Banchero, who have all been perennial All-Star talents in their careers. It is safe to say based on evidence thus far that Flagg is on a similar trajectory to his predecessors.