On Wednesday, the Dallas Mavericks will take the stage at the 2025 NBA Draft and select Duke standout Cooper Flagg first overall.
Flagg seems to be one of the best draft prospects in recent memory, a franchise-altering piece that the Mavericks can build around for the next several seasons. While saying "he's the best draft prospect since 2023" doesn't sound that impressive, he is in elite company.
In recent years, Zion Williamson, Anthony Davis, Paolo Banchero, Cade Cunningham, Ben Simmons, and Andrew Wiggins were consensus top picks, although none stood out more than Victor Wembanyama.
Wemby might be the greatest prospect in NBA history, and for Flagg to be compared to him is very high praise.
However, Wemby has a clear edge on Flagg. As an elite two-way player, Flagg is a transformative player, although he doesn't bring anything to the table that fans have truly never seen before. Kevin Garnett had a similar skillset, and while those are massive shoes to fill, there is a clear blueprint for Flagg's success.
Wembanyama's unseen potential, frame, and versatile talent give him a clear leg up, although the race between Wemby and Flagg is closer than the San Antonio Spurs would like to admit.
"Outside of Wembanyama, Flagg has the best combination of a ridiculously high floor and also a ridiculously high ceiling if everything goes right in his development," wrote The Athletic's Sam Vecenie (subscription required). "He has a chance to become the next apex wing in the NBA."
Being mentioned in the same breath as Wembanyama, even before Wemby hits his ceiling, should not be taken lightly, and there is a case to be made that Flagg will be the best player on the Mavs by the end of next season.