It’s highly unlikely to happen, but this certainly isn’t what any of the NBA bottom-feeders want to hear.
Cooper Flagg, Duke’s star freshman, who is projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, is teasing staying in school for a second season.
“S–t,” Flagg told The Athletic in an interview this week. “I want to come back next year.”
Entering Saturday, Flagg was averaging 19.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game for the No. 3-ranked Blue Devils, producing one of the best freshman seasons in recent memory.
He was the No. 1 recruit in the 2024 class after starring at the famed Montverde Academy.
“I still feel like a kid,” Flagg told the outlet. “This is the only way I’ve ever known college. That’s how I see it. I really wouldn’t know how kids felt before, and if this feels different, if this feels more like being a professional. I mean, it’s the same thing for kids in high school, too, getting paid a lot of money. I don’t know. I feel pretty normal.
“I always wanted to play in college at the highest level and compete for a national championship. That sort of thing is what I dreamed about.”
Even with his lucrative NIL earnings — he has a $4.3 million NIL valuation, according to On3 — it’s hard to believe Flagg would bypass the draft.
Listed at 6-foot-9 and 205 pounds, the 18-year-old Flagg possesses the build and two-way skillset that NBA executives often crave.
He is the heavy favorite to win the Wooden Award as the best player in the nation.
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