The highly anticipated 2025 NBA draft is still months away, but we already have a great idea of who will be the number one pick. Duke's Cooper Flagg is expected to be the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, with teams clamoring to be in a position to land the number one pick in the draft lottery. Unfortunately for them, Flag recently indicated that he may stay at Duke beyond this season.
“I want to come back next year”
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) February 15, 2025
— Cooper Flagg in an interview with the Athletic pic.twitter.com/aK1wR8WpeL
Flagg potentially wanting to stay and play another year of college basketball would be a massive blow to several teams desperately needing his talent to try and improve their franchise. The Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets, in particular, could use a new franchise player and may have to wait another year to try and land Flagg. That would make it less likely that they could land him.
On the other hand, the 2026 draft would be better for having Flagg, and he'd join AJ Dybantsa and Cam Boozer at the top of that draft class. Any team with a high lottery pick in that draft class would be happy with any of those three players, but many would prefer Flagg to enter this year's draft.
Will Cooper Flagg really not enter the 2025 NBA Draft?
It's been a long time since a projected number one overall pick opted to skip the NBA draft and return for their sophomore season. Actually, it's been a long time since a number one pick wasn't a college freshman or the same age as a freshman. The last one was Blake Griffin, who was a second-year college player when he was drafted by the L.A. Clippers in 2009.
With players' ability to use their image and likeness now, Flagg is making nearly $5 million while at Duke. That may minimize the need to go pro. Then again, the sooner he gets drafted, the sooner he can get to his second contract, and that's when he can get paid up to 30% of the salary cap. Even as a rookie, he could make more than $11 million.
With Flagg being the youngest prospect ever, he might not be in a rush to leave Duke, but if he does after this season, he'd have two and a half seasons under his belt before turning 20. That means that he could be on his second contract by the age of 22.
Ultimately, Flagg's staying put would have huge ramifications. Teams tanking for Flagg would be forced to wait another year. That could set up a star-laden 2026 NBA draft in which Flagg may not even be the number-one pick. The NBA draft is June 25th, but we'll find out whether Flagg will be in the draft at least a month before that, so stay tuned!