Duke’s Cooper Flagg posts hype video to announce NBA Draft declaration
Cooper Flagg, the projected first-overall pick, has officially declared for the 2025 NBA Draft and will not return to Duke for a second season, he announced Monday on Instagram.
“Duke fans, my teammates, the Brotherhood, everybody that was along for this journey — It was an incredible year,” Flagg stated. “Probably the best year of my life. I have so much gratitude. I feel so blessed for all the opportunities I was given. Duke has always been a dream for me, but I am excited to announce that I am entering my name into the 2025 NBA Draft.
“Today is just the beginning, but I have the Brotherhood with me for life.”
In one season at Duke, Flagg was fantastic. He averaged 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game en route to being named the 2024-25 AP Player of the Year, and he was the recipient of both the Wooden Award and the Naismith Award.
Flagg was a consensus All-American and helped lead Duke to their 18th Final Four appearance.
The consensus among NBA personnel is that Flagg will be the first pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. He possesses the height, length, and skill teams are looking for in a forward who can initiate his team’s offense.
Not to mention, scouts and executives were raving about his abilities during Team USA’s camp in Las Vegas last summer when Flagg participated with the USA Basketball Select Team.
Although there were rumors about Flagg potentially staying in Durham for a second season, especially after he expressed how much he loved being at Duke, the 18-year-old will now enter the NBA looking to become one of the next young faces of the league.
The Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, and Charlotte Hornets all possess the best odds (14 percent) to land the first pick in this year’s draft. All three organizations would greatly benefit from adding Flagg as their franchise cornerstone.
Cooper Flagg will now prepare for his pre-draft workouts and showcase, starting with the 2025 NBA Draft Combine held May 11-18 in Chicago, Illinois. The first round of the 2025 NBA Draft will take place on June 25 in Brooklyn, New York.
