In any sport, the draft is where superstars are born. Many times throughout the history of sports, landing the top pick can completely change the outlook and trajectory of a franchise.
This is especially true in the game of basketball, which is why earning the No. 1 pick is so important. In the 2025 NBA Draft, the clear best prospect is Cooper Flagg, the superstar forward who currently plays for the Duke Blue Devils.
What makes him special is the fact that he isn't just a great hypothetical prospect with a high ceiling; he's already a proven productive player. He led Duke in nearly every single statistical category this season as a freshman, starting his collegiate career at 17 years old.
Cooper Flagg is currently leading in EVERY major statistic for Duke
• 19.4 PPG
• 7.6 REB
• 4.2 AST
• 1.5 STL
• 1.3 BLK
• 49.4/83.0/37.7 splits
• 30.9 MP
Where do you want Flagg to be drafted once he declares for the league? pic.twitter.com/MwuCEp5G95
— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) March 9, 2025
Flagg is currently the front-runner to win the Wooden Award, which is given to the best player in all of collegebasketball*.* Furthermore, he is doing this while leading a blue blood program under the biggest spotlight of anyone in the entire country. This comes with a level of visibility and the honor of becoming a household name.
As such, he will be one of the most marketable young players in the league from the moment he steps on an NBA floor. This means that the team that lands him could immediately gain relevancy.
For teams like the Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz or Charlotte Hornets, adding Flagg would be significant. Not only would they get a new face of their franchise who could elevate them to being much more competitive next season, but he would also draw tremendous global attention to the team.
Flagg may not be the level of household name and superstar that Caitlyn Clark was when she left the Iowa Hawkeyes and was drafted by the Indiana Fever, but there are some similarities. Clark turned the Fever into one of the most popular teams in the WNBA and captivated fans of all teams in her rookie season. Flagg is beloved as a player and as a person and will immediately become one of the most popular players in the league upon arriving to the NBA game.
That is invaluable for the team that lands him, given how many ways he will impact the franchise on and off the court. Again, Cooper Flagg is a gem and the ultimate prospect to have the opportunity to select in the 2025 NBA Draft.
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This story was originally published March 10, 2025 at 7:47 PM.