Cooper Flagg had a remarkable freshman season at Duke.
On a Blue Devils team that claimed a No. 1 seed in the 2025 NCAA Men’s Tournament and reached the Final Four, Flagg showcased his ability to be a leading source of offense — attacking the rack, playing in isolation and boasting a respectable perimeter jumper. He also wreaked havoc on the defensive end, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game, while shooting 48.1/38.5/84.0.
Flagg ended the season with ACC All-Defense honors and was named the ACC Player of the Year. Unforunately for him, his freshamn campaign ended in cataclysmic fashion, as Duke blew a six-point lead in the final minute of play against Houston in the Final Four.
Flagg will likely be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. While the lottery balls will determine who picks where, Utah, Washington, Charlotte, New Orleans and Philadelphia currently own the league’s five worst records.
That said, here’s how the aforementioned lottery teams rank as fits for Flagg.
The Hornets have a lot of compelling young players, but they continue to be a franchise going nowhere. Getting Flagg could be the pickup that finally turns the tide for Charlotte.
LaMelo Ball is an All-Star caliber scorer; Brandon Miller has the sharp offensive skill set to be a building block; Mark Williams is a productive, young center. Still, the Hornets haven’t won 30 games in three seasons. Upon joining Charles Lee’s rotation, Flagg wouldn’t be relied on to play hero, as Ball is accustomed to taking on the scoring burden and Miller has displayed the ability to shoot and score with consistency.
Flagg letting the game come to him, forcing the issue at the rim and gradually getting acclimated would give the Hornets a potentially potent trio to build around in Flagg, Ball and Miller. The soon-to-be rookie forward could be the oomph that the Hornets need.
What puts Charlotte at the bottom of the best fits for Flagg, though, is forward Miles Bridges also being under contract for the next two years (potential forward logjam with Flagg) and the Hornets potentially feeling that using their top draft pick to trade for a substantial veteran enhancement is more worthwhile than continuing to add rookies.
The Sixers are the biggest disappointment in the NBA this season, but if they land the first overall pick or trade up to get it, Flagg creates a fascinating situation regarding their future.
At first glance, adding star talent to a roster that already includes Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George stands out. Flagg would be, at least, a tertiary source of offense and potentially serve as Philly’s sixth man in a role where he plays 30 minutes a night. Given the chronic health concerns with Embiid and George, Flagg’s scoring knack gives the 76ers tremendous frontcourt depth.
There’s another way this could play out: Philadelphia drafts Flagg, makes him and Maxey the co-faces of their franchise and looks to get off of both Embiid and George in trades. If they’re able to move one (if not both of Embiid and George), the duo of Maxey and Flagg allows the Sixers to retool, not rebuild, as the 24-year-old Maxey is a proven All-Star-caliber scorer in his own right, and Flagg is built to be plug-and-play. Plus, Quentin Grimes — who has been a loud emergence down the stretch for Philadelphia, averaging 22.6 points per game in his 26 games with the team — could be another long-term piece to the puzzle.
Flagg either gives Philadelphia outrageous scoring depth or offers them a chance to regroup for the better in quick order. Of course, the amount of moving pieces that could be part of adding Flagg and the difficulty that comes with moving Embiid and/or George (both injury and contract-related) could get in the way of the Duke star and the Sixers being a smooth fit.
From injuries to racking up losses, this season has been a train wreck for the Pelicans. This season leading to Flagg could end up getting them back on track, though.
With Brandon Ingram gone (New Orleans moved him at the trade deadline), a potential void exists in the Pelicans’ starting five. Granted, a healthy Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones could fill that void. However, the Pelicans could also get Flagg, manage their roster as if he were their franchise player and find a team that’s willing to take a chance on the oft-injured Zion Williamson in a trade.
In the wake of such a move, Flagg would become the focal point of head coach Willie Green’s offense, giving the Pelicans a well-rounded scorer who could be their go-to player in due time. With everybody healthy come next season, Flagg would be accompanied by the versatile Dejounte Murray, a pair of continually blossoming wings in Jones and Jordan Hawkins, a veteran scorer in CJ McCollum and an emerging inside force in Yves Missi. All of a sudden, the Pelicans have a core that complements itself and is on the same timeline.
However, what stops the Pelicans from being No. 1 or 2 on this list is that a pair of teams have a clear need in their rotation that Flagg fills, whereas his fit in New Orleans is somewhat dependent on moving Williamson.
With the amount of wheeling and dealing the Jazz have done over the past three years, it’s difficult to get a sense of how they view themselves. And, in the present, they have the worst record in the NBA. Getting Flagg would be a godsend for Utah.
Lauri Markkanen has grown into one of the better-scoring big men in the sport in Utah, but his scoring has dipped in each of the past two seasons. Flagg joining the mix takes some of the pressure off Markkanen to manufacture offense and makes Utah’s rotation look different for the long haul.
Keyonte George has quickly become both a reliable scorer and facilitator; Walker Kessler is a rock in the paint on both ends of the floor; rookie Isaiah Collier has showcased playmaking ability; second-year player Brice Sensabaugh and wing Johnny Juzang have had scoring spurts. In drafting Flagg, the Jazz would get a new face to the franchise who, along with the roster that he joins, gives them reason to at least aspire for a berth in the NBA Play-in Tournament next season.
What stops Utah from being the best fit for Flagg is it possibly viewing a Flagg-Markkanen-Kessler frontcourt as too big and/or slowing down its operation.
That said, there’s a team with a hole that Flagg would emphatically fill.
The Wizards are down bad, and need a player to pinpoint as a future star. Enter Flagg.
It’s not as if Washington doesn’t have nice pieces. Rookie and former second overall pick Alex Sarr is a physical specimen on both ends of the floor who’s surely a player to build with; Bilal Coulibaly is a scrappy player who’s getting more productive; Corey Kispert is a proven shooter; rookie Kyshawn George has had his moments in a high-minute role. But that one franchise player still isn’t present.
Flagg gives the Wizards their No. 1 scorer. He’s the multidimensional scorer who can play in isolation and has the superstar upside that their roster doesn’t possess. Flagg can play out his rookie season as their offensive centerpiece, go through the physical grind of being the focus of defensive attention and be better for all the bumps in the road that he encounters in his rookie season.
After moving both Kyle Kuzma and Jonas Valanciunas — who Washington just signed to a three-year deal in the offseason — at the trade deadline, Jordan Poole, its leading scorer this season, could easily be the next player on the move. One way or another, adding a high-upside scorer is of the essence for Washington, and that player being their first-round pick (Flagg) is both financially ideal and lines up with its timeline.
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