The NBA Playoffs continue to power on, but plenty of teams around the league have already turned a page to next season. The NBA Draft is rapidly approaching, with Cooper Flagg headlining a strong overall class. The NBA Draft lottery has established the selection order, making the Dallas Mavericks the winners of the Flagg Sweepstakes despite their 1.8% odds entering that fateful night. Here is a look at the Duke product’s NBA profile ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft.
Cooper Flagg NBA Draft Profile
Cooper Flagg has been penciled in as the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft for years to this point. He is the most well-rounded top prospect in recent memory with a style of play that directly translates to winning basketball and an ability to scale up or down his role depending on the context of the roster around him. He turned 18 in December and reclassified two summers ago to enter college a year early. Despite this, he looked like a man among boys and averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks on a loaded Duke team that should see two of his teammates also selected in the Top 10. Flagg finished his freshman season as a consensus first-team All-American, National Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year and Wooden Award Winner.
Physical Traits/College Film:
Cooper Flagg measured in at the NBA Combine at 6-7.75 and 221 pounds with a 7-foot wingspan and an 8-10.5 standing reach. Unlike many college freshmen, Flagg has filled out his body well already with some muscle on his frame, including gaining 12 pounds while at Duke. He plays with a high-level intensity and physicality that sets the tone on every court he walks on.
If there is a critique of Flagg, it was his overwillingness to play within the team concept. He snapped into a more aggressive style of play in the second half of the season, averaging 20.3 points per game over the final 22 games while shooting 43.4% from beyond the three-point arc. His handle could tighten up a bit, which has limited some of his self-creation opportunities. The “Maine Event” can also find himself out of position defensively at times when he is a bit overactive attempting to block shots, but this is nitpicking.
He moves extremely well on the floor with quick twitch ability and high-level athleticism. Flagg has some of the best instincts as a weak side rim protector that has been seen at the collegiate level, and he is capable of being switched out to the perimeter to match up with guards. The 18-year-old can slot in at either of the forward spots and should be able to hold things down as a big man if a team elects to go small, although this may take a bit of time at his young age.
Offensively, Flagg has a healthy shot diet and the potential to grow into a true three-level scorer. He attacks the glass, pulling in 1.3 offensive rebounds per game, and does not need a team to cater to him to be effective. Flagg shot 38.5% from beyond the three-point arc and is still at his best when attacking around the rim. He is a rare top prospect who can step up as the face of a franchise from day one or fit into a win-now team that he finds himself on.
NBA Comparison: Jayson Tatum meets Scottie Pippen
There is no perfect one-for-one comparison for Flagg, but Jayson Tatum feels the closest to me. Tatum’s rebounding ability has been a major part of Boston’s lineup flexibility, with Flagg sharing these same skills. There is a pretty strong case that Flagg had an even more impressive one-and-done season compared to Tatum, with the soon-to-be top pick already ahead of where Tatum was as a playmaker and defender.
If there is a concern with Flagg, it may be that his best NBA role could be as a Robin rather than Batman. He is more than comfortable doing the little things that equate to winning, with Flagg not blinking when asked to defend top options and set the defensive floor of a team. It feels the floor for his NBA outlook is a few All-Star appearances, but the list of players capable of being the best player on a championship team is extremely slim, and Flagg has some developing before he can be in this conversation. Sometimes the “once-in-a-generation” label can be painted a bit too broadly, but the 18-year-old also has one of the highest floors of any prospects to ever be selected.
How much Flagg continues to grow and fill out will likely dictate whether his best positional fit is as a perimeter-oriented wing or closer to a big man. Regardless, the competitiveness he plays with and his well-rounded skillset make him a fit on any NBA roster, and he will walk into the league as a day one impact starter with a very likely chance of developing into a player well beyond this.
Potential NBA Landing Spots:
We don’t have to go too lengthy into this, as it would be a massive surprise if Cooper Flagg is not putting on a Dallas Mavericks hat on draft night. While Nico Harrison’s decision to trade Luka Doncic provides a track record that keeps the door open a bit more than any other GM in the league, even Harrison has to see this No. 1 selection as a massive opportunity to help hoist him out of poor favor with the fan base.
This also may end up being the best case scenario for growth for Flagg as an individual. With Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson on the roster and Kyrie Irving hopeful to return at some point next year, there is a win-now core in place that Flagg can fit right into. He fits the “Defense Wins Championships” mantra that continues to be echoed in Dallas, and the Mavericks have a path to being the best defense in basketball next season.
Expect Cooper Flagg to become a familiar name to NBA fans for the next decade-plus. The skillset, personality and competitiveness check every box for a player worth betting on to reach his full potential. There is a path to growing into a true face of the league if his self-creation continues to progress, with his starting point already higher than many No. 1 picks we have seen.
