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The Dallas Mavericks selected former Duke forward Cooper Flagg with the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday.
Flagg is a basketball prodigy. The Maine native won a state title in his freshman year of high school before transferring to basketball powerhouse Montverde Academy. He led Montverde to a 34-0 record in his final season of high school, winning the Gatorade National Player of the Year award, the Naismith Prep Player of the Year award, and the Mr. Basketball USA award. He was a McDonald's All-American and the top player in the 2024 recruiting class despite reclassifying to graduate from high school ahead of time.
Flagg made the 15-man USA Select Team that was tasked with preparing Team USA for the 2024 Paris Olympics. He was the only collegiate player picked for the training camp in Las Vegas.
The 18-year-old ranked in the top 10 in scoring, assists, rebounding, and blocks among college freshmen last season and set the Blue Devils' single-game freshman scoring record with a 42-point outing versus Notre Dame in January.
Flagg's historic season propelled him to become just the fourth freshman to ever win all three major college basketball Player of the Year awards (Naismith, Wooden, and Associated Press). He was the driving force behind Duke's ACC regular-season and tourney titles, along with its run to the Final Four.
Flagg is the sixth Blue Devil to be picked No. 1 overall, joining Paolo Banchero in 2022, Zion Williamson in 2019, Kyrie Irving in 2011, Elton Brand in 1999, and Art Heyman in 1963.
Bio
Position: Forward
School: Duke
Height: 6-foot-8
Weight: 221 lbs
Wingspan: 7-foot
Max vertical: 35.5 inches
2024-25 stats with Duke
| GP | FG% | 3PT% | FT% | REB | AST | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | 48.1 | 38.5 | 84 | 7.5 | 4.2 | 19.2 |
Flagg is a do-it-all player who stuffs the box score and is capable of playing up to three positions. He was a menace on defense in college, constantly blowing up actions from the weak side, and his impressive 2.8 stocks (blocks plus steals) per game don't accurately portray his immense defensive impact. Offensively, the rangy forward showed glimpses of three-level scoring and was elite as either a primary ball-handler or a cutter and floor spacer. Flagg's growth as an on-ball creator gives him MVP upside, and his 4.2 assists per game were fifth best among collegiate players listed 6-foot-8 and above.
NBA comparison: Pascal Siakam. Flagg's size, nimbleness, and quickness are remarkably similar to the Indiana Pacers star. Like Siakam, Flagg is an adept passer for his position, puts relentless pressure on the rim in transition, and feasts on mismatches; he's too big for guards or wings and too quick for forwards or centers. Siakam is also one of the league's best help defenders, a role that Flagg will easily slot into with the Mavericks. However, the Duke product is the youngest player in this draft and is already a better shooter than the two-time All-NBA forward. It won't come as a shock if Flagg is eclipsing Siakam's level of production in the next few seasons.
