After weeks of speculation, Duke star Cooper Flagg finally made it official. He formally declared for the 2025 NBA draft, putting an end to speculation that he could stay another season.
That likely comes as a giant relief to some of the worst teams in the NBA, including the Utah Jazz, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, and New Orleans Pelicans. With Flagg projected to be taken atop the NBA draft, the NBA could have yet another major star on its hands.
Breaking: Cooper Flagg has declared for the 2025 NBA draft, he announced on social media. pic.twitter.com/gsgOZI3rtw
— ESPN (@espn) April 21, 2025
Cooper Flagg declaring for the 2025 NBA Draft could be huge for the league
The league already has plenty of stars, but fewer and fewer NBA stars are American-born, which is why Flagg's entering the draft is such a big deal. There hasn't been an American prospect this good at this age since LeBron James, with Flagg being just 18.5 years old.
Considering just how good he is at such a young age, it's not a stretch to think that he could eventually become a top-5 player in the NBA. Assuming that he ends up in Washington, Utah, or Charlotte, he could also dramatically improve the fortunes of a struggling franchise.
Having him turn an irrelevant franchise around would make the league even deeper and give them yet another superstar to market. However, he would be different from many of the league's current best players.
Cooper Flagg could emerge as the next face of the NBA
It's no secret that most of the NBA's best players are international stars. That is far from a bad thing since it helps to broaden the appeal of the NBA around the world.
While the NBA has become extremely popular internationally, they have lost some relevance in the United States without a megastar to market. They still have LeBron James and Steph Curry, of course, who are both still very popular, but they don't have a Caitlin Clark-esque type of star.
They were hoping that players such as Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, and Anthony Edwards could be those players, but none of them have been able to draw ratings like prime LeBron and prime Curry did.
That's not to say that Flagg will be nearly as marketable as Clark is. But given the lack of American stars, it couldn't hurt the NBA to have a young American who has superstar potential.
All told, Flagg declaring for the 2025 NBA Draft is a huge deal for the league. He is not only one of the youngest prospects ever but also one of the best American prospects in recent memory. If he can live up to the hype, then one struggling team could have its fortunes changed, and the NBA could have a new face of the league.