Cooper Flagg, Duke‘s 18-year-old star, has announced that he is ready to make the leap to the big leagues by declaring himself eligible for the 2025 NBA Draft.
In an emotional video posted to Instagram, Flagg thanked Duke fans, his teammates and the basketball team, calling his freshman year “probably the best of my life.”
He confirmed his entry into the draft, a decision that was widely expected given his status as a top prospect since reclassifying in August 2023.
“Probably the best year of my life”. Duke has always been a dream for me, but I’m excited to announce that I will be entering the 2025 NBA Draft,” he said, marking a new chapter for Flagg.
Flagg excelled at Duke, leading the team in all major statistics and leading them to a 35-4 record, titles and competition at the highest level. There is no doubt that many teams will compete for this pick, as the future is assured with Cooper.
Do the Spurs have a chance to sign Flagg?
The reality is that San Antonio has a very difficult task ahead of them to make a move like Cooper Flagg’s. The 20-year-old will be one of the most coveted players in the league, and the Spurs could fall far short in their attempts to add him to their roster.
Although the Spurs are not at the top of the odds for the first pick in the draft, the NBA has already determined its options through a tiebreaker lottery held on Monday.
After losing to Miami in the play-in, the Hawks secured a lottery pick with a 0.7% chance of landing the top pick.
The Spurs, with the eighth highest probability (6%), improved their record by 12 wins from last year. Despite the injuries to Wembanyama and Fox that dashed their postseason hopes, San Antonio is banking on its young core for next season.
It would be nearly impossible to see Flagg leave for San Antonio, only a very strategic move would prevent that, which does not seem likely at this point. The Spurs will be watching every scenario closely, as being the first pick in the draft has given them a very promising future with a rebuild that will see All-Star players at their highest level.
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