In the summertime of 2023, Cooper Flag was reclassified at highschool. This allowed him to graduate a 12 months in the past and certified for the 2025 NBA Draft.
After graduating from highschool in 2024, Flag attended Duke and performed basketball in school. In his solely season, Flag was well-known and was Nasmith Participant of the Yr from 2024-25. There was hypothesis that the 18-year-old would return to Duke for his sophomore season. Nevertheless, Flag selected to enter the 2025 NBA Draft, calling it “the very best determination in hindsight.”
Cooper Flag is happy along with his determination to declare the 2025 NBA Draft
All NBA groups had the identical purpose: to seize aggg.@cooper_flagg Adorn the Cowl of Sports activities Illustrated earlier than the draft 🔥 https://t.co/kd4f2qxzgo pic.twitter.com/au39yrctyx
– Sports activities Illustrated (@sinow) June 18, 2025
Lately, Duke’s Cooper Flag was interviewed by Sports activities Illustrated’s Chris Manix. Flaggg was broadly searched for the draft course of and the choices he made alongside the best way. When the Blue Devils season ended, Flag mentioned, “I needed to come back again subsequent 12 months (to Duke). The actions have been extra eloquent than phrases, and on this case it was true.
The proficient ahead mentioned that if the identical staff returns subsequent 12 months, he could be “100%” again. That was not actuality for Duke, and Flag selected to make the very best determination for himself. He is a consensus #1 choose and it is silly to not be drafted now. Flag was reclassified in highschool to qualify for the 2025 draft. The rookie has been in a novel scenario from 2025-26.
Dallas isn’t a staff that’s rebuilding precisely. They’ve many win expertise on their roster, and Flag provides to it. He joins Klay Thompson, PJ Washington and Anthony Davis. The Mavericks have solely been a 12 months since their journey to the NBA Finals. Luka Doncic was a basic a part of that roster. He was traded for the Lakers, however Dallas hit gold and landed the No. 1 choose within the 2025 NBA Draft. Nico Harrison can reset the franchise and draft generational outlook with Cooper Flag.
