Former Duke star Cooper Flagg is projected to be the No. 1 pick by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2025 NBA draft, which will be held Wednesday and Thursday at the Barclays Center in New York (both nights at 8 ET on ABC and ESPN).
Flagg, a 6-foot-9 forward, has been considered the front-runner to be the top pick in the draft since August 2023, when he announced his decision to graduate high school a year early and enroll in a college as a 17-year-old.
Despite being one of the most heavily anticipated freshmen to enter the college game in several years, Flagg exceeded expectations by winning nearly every major national player of the year award, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists, and leading the Blue Devils (35-4) to a Final Four appearance.
The Mavericks landed the No. 1 overall pick, despite entering the draft lottery with just a 1.8% chance of doing so, jumping 10 spots and tying for the biggest move by any team in lottery history.
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Scouting report and ranking
No. 1 overall, No. 1 forward, SF/PF, Duke
Flagg made his way to Dallas this week for a visit with his projected new team, touring the city and team facilities, holding an on-court workout and leaving a strong impression on Mavericks brass throughout. There continue to be no secrets around what to expect here: Dallas might have caught an all-time lottery break in jumping its odds from No. 11 to land the No. 1 pick.
Set to make his NBA debut at 18 years old, Flagg will be positioned to make an immediate impact for a Mavericks franchise that intends to be competitive in 2025-26. Dallas will hope that walking into what figures to be a winning situation will help fast-track his growth even more, as Dallas has a playmaking void at the outset of next season with Kyrie Irving recovering from an ACL tear. The league will be watching what type of impact Flagg can provide immediately, with his versatile two-way skill set providing a strong starting point as he begins his professional career with high expectations. — Jeremy Woo
Flagg, the Mavericks and one of the most shocking draft lotteries in decades
ESPN’s Baxter Holmes: On the afternoon of May 12, Flagg’s immediate family gathered inside his hotel room at the Marriott Marquis in downtown Chicago. There was his twin brother, Ace (who is one minute older), his father, Ralph, and his mother, Kelly. They finished getting dressed for the 2025 NBA draft lottery, which began later that night at 7 p.m. local time at the McCormick Place Convention Center, a short walk from their hotel.
But before heading out together, the family of the Duke superstar freshman, and the presumed No. 1 overall pick in Wednesday’s NBA draft, spent 30 minutes chatting about his future. … The family had known for months that the Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz and Charlotte Hornets held the highest chances of landing the top pick, and inside the room, they again went over positives about each one.
Read more on how Flagg and the Mavericks responded
Potential trade offers for Flagg
We know the Mavericks have said they plan to select Flagg and will not entertain the possibility of trading away the No. 1 pick for a proven superstar.
But what if a trade offer landed on the desks of Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison and team governor Patrick Dumont that at least forced the organization to briefly consider the option … before saying no?
Our NBA insiders offer three enticing offers — and a verdict. Let’s dig into the deals
Tatum? Pippen? NBA execs share best Flagg comps
ESPN talked to NBA executives and scouts, who came up with pro player comparisons based on Flagg’s developing offensive skills, versatility and defensive prowess.
Here are five players whom NBA scouts tell us they’re leaning into as they go through their own evaluations for Flagg. These comps are designed to illustrate his range of outcomes and highlight his strengths on both sides of the ball. Check out the comps
Early-morning runs, autograph signings and so many dunks
The world got to see Flagg’s talent this season at Duke, but in Maine, there are those who witnessed Flagg’s brilliance in its infancy, who can swear to the details of stories that now border on mythology, of the lanky kid from a blink-and-you-miss-it town who did the impossible and made it look easy.
Flagg will soon be the first player selected in the NBA draft — an eventuality that seemed obvious to his friends, family and those in Maine before he had played a collegiate game. Read the tales of a young Flagg
The tiny town and legendary 1980s NBA team that built Flagg
Disbelief over his rise has followed Flagg, about his age, his race, the small town he’s from. At every stop — private trainers, legendary coaches, scrimmages, national tournaments — he has faced test after test against older players, bigger players, all designed to define a ceiling, a future, whether he belonged.
For the past decade, he has passed them all, consistently turning skepticism into awe — fueled by lessons from one of the greatest NBA teams of all time — the Boston Celtics. Read more on Flagg’s past and his future
