Generational talent Cooper Flagg worth giving up ‘all time motherload of picks’ for Oklahoma, claims Bill Simmons

Prominent sportswriter Bill Simmons laid out a case for why and how OKC can raise the stakes to acquire Cooper Flagg.

Generational talent Cooper Flagg worth giving up ‘all time motherload of picks’ for Oklahoma, claims Bill Simmons

Bill Simmons thinks it's time for OKC to cash in their picks for Cooper Flagg

The trade deadline recently closed, and the early declaration for NBA draft entry is just around the corner in April. With the ongoing NCAA basketball season and the approaching draft, teams are already looking at highly touted prospects like Cooper Flagg.

On the latest installment of The Ringer, host and sportswriter Bill Simmons made a compelling argument in favor of the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder and the moves they could make to acquire a generational talent like Coop. Simmons suggested that the OKC Thunder should follow the same tactics they have used previously under GM Sam Presti to secure high-value picks—only this time, he urges them to turn it up a little.

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Could this be the year that they take that seventh, eighth, ninth Philly pick, if that’s the pick, add like eight picks to it, and just say, ‘Give us Cooper Flagg’? Here’s the all-time motherload of picks. Let’s say Charlotte gets the first pick and just gets a war chest of the all-time most picks ever in a trade from OKC.

Bill Simmons stated

But there are some hurdles they need to jump over. First off, “The Maine Event” is thinking about sticking with Duke for another year. Then, OKC’s got a real dilemma on their plate. They’ve already spent a fortune, so with the salary cap in mind, they’ll need to hunt for cost-controlled players for at least the next few years.

Amidst all the viral posters and plays, the 18-year-old young gun made headlines recently after he candidly stated in an interview with The Athletic, “S***… I want to come back next year.” This revelation has caught the NBA community off guard, with both fans and franchises disheartened after learning the news.

Fans in disbelief over Cooper Flagg’s decision to return to Duke instead of declaring for the draft

Duke University’s 6’9″ forward, Cooper Flagg, was expected to be the number one overall pick this year. However, he has hinted at his willingness to choose an unexpected path, seemingly abstaining from the “one-and-done” route. Flagg wants to spend more time at Duke, even though projections have him as a first-round pick.

This has confused his fans, who are wondering why he would pass on the millions of dollars in annual salary, with one fan commenting, “NIL money hitting good.”

Cooper Flagg continues to make his case for the national player of the year. This season, he is averaging 19.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, four assists and 1.6 steals for the Duke Blue Devils. Up next, they will host the Stanford Cardinal on Saturday and are highly favored to secure a blowout victory.