The teams that failed to make the NBA playoffs are eagerly awaiting the NBA Draft Lottery. The upcoming lottery gives those teams the chance to win the number one overall pick in the 2025 Draft, and this year's top prize will be Duke star Cooper Flagg.
Flagg is widely seen as a generational prospect and a potential two-way superstar. He alone could help change the fortunes of one of the worst teams in the NBA, with the Charlotte Hornets, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, and New Orleans Pelicans all having the best odds to land him.
Be that as it may, it's far from a guarantee that any of those teams will end up with the top pick in the draft. Just ask the Atlanta Hawks. Last year, the Hawks had the ninth-worst record in the NBA and just a 7.3% chance of winning the top pick. Nevertheless, they ended up picking first in the 2024 draft. With that being said, who would be the best fit for Flagg?
The 2025 NBA draft lottery will tell us where Cooper Flagg will play
Of the four teams that have the highest odds to land Flagg, the Wizards and Jazz appear to be the best landing spots for him for different reasons. The Wizards have been among the most inept franchises in the NBA, making the playoffs just 13 times in the last 40 years.
They have no clear building block, even though they do have several promising young players, including Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, and Jordan Poole, who had a resurgence season this year. Flagg would give them a clear centerpiece to build around and deliver them a desperately needed franchise player.
As for the Jazz, they are a well-run organization that already has a star in place in Lauri Markkanen and the outline of a promising roster. Flagg would instantly give them their best player since Donovan Mitchell and perhaps even Karl Malone if he lives up to the hype.
Whoever lands Cooper Flagg would have the ultimate building block
Flagg has often been compared to former defensive ace Andrei Kirilenko, who was a shutdown defender on the perimeter while also being able to swat shots in the paint. Flagg boasts one of the highest stocks per game averages in all of college basketball, posting 2.8 steals plus blocks per game.
Offensively, he's drawn comparisons to Jayson Tatum. That archetype would make him a heck of a player, and, given that he is just 18 and a half years old could be a star for well over a decade.
With the NBA Draft lottery on May 12th, we won't have to wait long to see which team ends up with the number one overall pick. Of the teams in the mix, the Wizards are in the most need of a superstar, while the Jazz are the best organizational fit. Stay tuned!