Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg was the 247 Sports‘ No. 1 recruit in 2024 with many scouts and analysts seeing a future All-Star who could be the first pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. With March Madness underway, Flagg is garnering some intriguing NBA comparisons as he tries to lead Duke to a national championship.
There was hype regarding Flagg’s eventual arrival at the pro level even ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft. Because it was a weaker crop of prospects, scouts and executives were already buzzing about the 2025 NBA Draft class and Flagg’s status as the projected No. 1 overall pick even a year out.
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- Cooper Flagg stats (ESPN): 18.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 4.1 APG, 48.8% FG, 1.5 SPG, 1.3 BPG
Even as an 18-year-old, Flagg has been one of the best players in college basketball. He shined during the regular season with the Blue Devils, earning ACC Player of the Year and making the ACC All-Defensive Team. In addition, the 6-foot-9 forward was named a first-team All-American.
Heading into March Madness, Flagg led college basketball in Win Shares per 48 Minutes (0.301), Box Plus/Minus (16.4) and he ranked second in Defensive Rating (87.3). The freshman wing delivered on all ends of the court, cementing his status ahead of the NCAA Tournament as the best prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft.
- Cooper Flagg NIL valuation (On3): $4.8 million
While the NBA Draft isn’t until June 25, NBA executives who spoke to Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN.com raved about Flagg as a prospect.
Executives and general managers told ESPN praised Flagg’s improvements offensively, which hasn’t come at the cost of his stellar defense. While he’s a different type of player, he is seemingly viewed in the same tier as Zion Williamson was ahead of the 2019 NBA Draft. As for who Flagg compares to, one popular one is All-NBA forward Kawhi Leonard.
“The best comp I’ve heard from our scouts is prime Kawhi Leonard. Now, that’s not perfect because they are very different players at the same age, but it’s the one I like in terms of their style of play, two-way versatility, passing and the fact that they can both guard point guards, wings and big men”
Anonymous Western Conference GM on a Cooper Flagg NBA comparison
Leonard, a two-time NBA Finals MVP, was the 15th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. He was fairly well-regarded coming out of San Diego State University, but teams were far higher on his defensive prowess than what he could do offensively.
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While Leonard wasn’t nearly as hyped as Flagg ahead of the NBA draft, they do share similar qualities. It’s another reason why Flagg is still viewed as the consensus No. 1 prospect right now in a top-heavy class.
“Kawhi’s defense was way ahead of his offense, and he has a lot of the same manufactured qualities [as Flagg] to his handle and shooting. … But I think about his unwavering confidence and relentless work ethic combined with his physicality, IQ and physical tools. That’s what helped him become an MVP candidate and the best player on a championship team
Western Conference GM on the Cooper Flagg NBA comparison to Kawhi Leonard
However, there’s a chance Flagg will opt to not enter the 2025 NBA Draft. Entering late March, the Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz and Charlotte Hornets have the highest lottery odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick. If Flagg doesn’t believe he can thrive with any of those teams, he could return for his sophomore season at Duke.
While there is at least a chance Flagg stays with the Blue Devils next season, no NBA executives polled by ESPN believe it will happen. Assuming he declares, he’ll be the first overall pick and a heavy favorite to win Rookie of the Year. Given his well-developed skill set and rapidly improving offensive game, he could also challenge for an All-Star selection before he turns 20 years old.