The 2025 NBA Draft is set to begin with the first round on Wednesday night, which means that fans are officially going to know where Duke star Cooper Flagg will be playing to begin his professional career.
Barring a completely unforeseen change of course, Flagg will be drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the No. 1 overall pick.
After trading Luka Doncic ahead of the trade deadline during the 2024-25 season, winning the draft lottery for the right to select Flagg was a major stroke of luck. Nico Harrison and company have a chance to bring in another generational talent right after trading one.
Flagg is expected to become a superstar at the next level. He has a unique skill-set and will likely begin his career playing alongside two stars in Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis.
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Prior to the draft getting underway, Flagg spoke out and offered who he feels is his NBA comparison. If he can become the kind of player that his comparison is, the Mavericks are going to be a very happy franchise.
As shared by House of Highlights, Flagg compared himself to current Los Angeles Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard.
“I’d like to think that I could play like Kawhi,” Flagg said boldly. “You know, just such a good two-way talent. I don’t know if I actually do or not, but I think my friend would say someone like that as well.”
During his lone season with the Blue Devils during the 2024-25 college basketball campaign, Flagg did not fall short of the hype. He led Duke to the Final Four and put up major individual production while doing so.
In the 37 games he played, Flagg averaged 19.2 points per game to go along with 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.4 steals, while also shooting 48.1 percent from the floor overall and knocking down 38.5 percent of his three-point attempts.
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Standing in at 6-foot-9 and 205 pounds, Flagg has the size of a power forward with the skill of a guard. He can shoot, drive, handle the ball, and defend. Those are all things Leonard has excelled at in the NBA.
It will be interesting to see if Flagg can live up to his own comparison. Dallas is a great landing spot for him and playing alongside Irving and Davis will help take a lot of pressure off of the rookie’s shoulders.
Everything will begin tonight for Flagg at the NBA level. Once the No. 1 overall pick begins, the hype will rise again and it will be up to him to prove the high expectations correct.
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