There’s always hype around high school stars. But Cooper Flagg? He’s built different. From the moment he stepped on a college court, people had him pegged as the number 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. And to be fair, he’s lived up to every bit of that!  “A lot of times that (hype at a young age) comes with a certain comfort or taking their foot off the gas,” said Kevin Boyle, his former coach at Montverde Academy. “He’s definitely not done that.”

Flagg didn’t just meet expectations–he crushed them. He led Duke in nearly every major statistic this season. Now, with the draft on the horizon, the big question is- where’s he headed? Well, a certain national reporter has a few thoughts on that.

The NBA Draft is still a few months away. June 25-26 to be exact. But first up? The NBA Draft Lottery. That’s where the real drama begins! The 14 teams that missed the playoffs will be holding their breath, all hoping for that golden ticket—the number 1 pick. The three bottom teams stand out with the best odds. Each of them has a 14% shot at landing the top spot. Who are they? The Utah Jazz. The Washington Wizards. And the Charlotte Hornets.

Cooper Flagg joined elite company this season. Kevin Durant. Anthony Davis. Zion Williamson. Paige Bueckers. And now Flagg- one of the few freshmen to ever win the Naismith Player of the Year award. With that kind of resume, it’s obvious he’ll be the number 1 target for teams with top lottery odds. But, does landing on a struggling team actually hurt his legacy? Dan Patrick certainly thinks so. Especially when it comes to one particular franchise- valued at a staggering $4.1 billion, per Forbes.

In the Gil’s Arena YouTube channel, Dan Patrick talks about how Flagg potentially going to the Wizards might not be a good thing. Stay away, Wizards fans, you wouldn’t wanna read this! He says, “If he goes to the Wizards, basketball’s version of a
timeout….sorry wizards fans. I mean that that feels like you know when you punish your kids and you go “Hey, if you keep doing that I’m going to give you a timeout.” 

Gone are the glory days of John Wall and Bradley Beal leading the Wizards to the playoffs. In the last three seasons, the Wizards have been stuck at the bottom of the league standings. And it’s not like they didn’t have talent. They’ve cycled through names like Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Jordan Poole, Kyle Kuzma, and even Khris Middleton.

But what did it lead to? Nothing. Washington has become that team that collects salary fillers, only to offload them the next season. There’s no real identity. No long-term plan. And that’s exactly what Dan Patrick was worried about. If Flagg ends up in D.C. right now, it might do more harm than good.

That said, is Cooper Flagg really heading to the NBA Draft? Or could he shock everyone and run it back with Duke for one more year after falling just two wins shy of a national title? Well, the wait is over. Flagg has finally broken his silence.

Cooper Flagg talks about his basketball future

Cooper Flagg isn’t rushing into anything. This week, the Duke star revealed he’s going to take some time to weigh his options now that the season’s wrapped up.

Flagg said in an interview with Sports Center. “I met a lot of incredible people (and) made a ton of great relationships that I’m going to have for the rest of my life. I think now it is time for me to reflect, take a couple of days, take a week, take a month — whatever it is for me. Talk to my parents, talk to the coaches and just really decide what is best for me.”

What Cooper Flagg decides next is still up in the air. The 18-year-old became just the 22nd player in Duke history to be named a consensus first-team All-American, and after a stellar freshman season, all signs are pointing toward him declaring for the NBA Draft. Will it be the Wizards who take him number 1? Or will another team swoop in? Stay tuned for all the latest updates regarding the Cooper Flagg saga!