The basketball world was left in disbelief when the San Antonio Spurs announced that Victor Wembanyama was out for the season with life-threatening deep vein thrombosis (DVT) on his right shoulder. Just when Spurs fans were dreaming of a late-season push for their first playoff appearance since 2019, their franchise cornerstone was sidelined. But maybe a certain Cooper Flagg from Duke helped ease their pain a bit?

According to Evan Sidery of Forbes, the Spurs might just have a path to landing the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft! He took to X to break down the scenario, saying, “The Spurs currently have a 3% chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick. Now without Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio faces the 7th-toughest schedule remaining in the NBA. There’s now a realistic outcome where San Antonio forms a Big 3 of Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, and Cooper Flagg.”

As expected, the basketball world wasn’t having it! Flagg himself went and liked an Instagram post linking him to the Spurs which obviously added more fuel to the fire! The Duke superstar is set to be eligible for a $398.5 million max rookie extension if he’s drafted first overall. And by the looks of it, Flagg might have his eyes set on San Antonio as his future home!

Fans wasted no time flooding social media with thousands of posts expressing their frustration, with many convinced that the NBA was once again bending the rules in favor of the Spurs. Let’s take a look at some of the takes!

Fans fume as analyst reveals Flagg might join Spurs

Fans weren’t about to let this news slide easily. One furious fan kept it simple, saying, “NBA is rigged if this happens.” Another echoed the same sentiment, bluntly stating, “Rigged.” But the real heat came from a fan who didn’t hold back, declaring, “If the Spurs jump to the Top 4 again, it’ll be clear as day that it’s f—– rigged.”

Let’s get one thing straight: the NBA Draft might be unfair, but it’s not rigged. The Spurs aren’t just banking on their own pick, they also own the Hawks’ unprotected pick. This creates a real possibility of the Spurs having two top-10 picks in the upcoming draft but will need results to go in their favor. Of course, teams like the Wizards, Hornets, and Jazz are weaker and, on paper, should have the best shot at the No. 1 pick. But if history has taught us anything, it’s that the lottery can be full of surprises. Do you need proof? Just look at last year, Atlanta had only a 3% chance, and guess what? They still walked away with the first pick!

Fans are still in disbelief that this could actually happen. One fan shut down the idea completely, bluntly stating, “No f—- chance.” Another wasn’t having any of it either, arguing that San Antonio doesn’t even need Flagg since they already have their generational talent, saying, “Portland deserves Flagg. Not the damn Spurs. They have their generational player already.”

The chances of Cooper Flagg ending up in San Antonio are pretty slim. But let’s not pretend it’s impossible. The NBA Draft has thrown crazier surprises our way before. That said, if there’s one team that truly needs him, it’s Portland. Sitting 13th in the West with a 24-33 record, the Blazers have been searching for their next franchise cornerstone ever since Damian Lillard left town. And they might just get what they want this time!

Whether it’s the Spurs, the Blazers, or a wildcard team ready to make a splash, Cooper Flagg’s landing spot is one of the biggest talking points of the NBA Draft. But before that, all eyes will be on him as he takes center stage in March Madness! Where do you think Flagg will end up? Drop your thoughts in the comments!