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Cooper Flagg has announced himself as a generational talent over the past two years, and was able to back it up with a strong campaign as a member of a stacked Duke Blue Devils roster, firming as the number one selection in the process and the centrepiece of a team moving forward.

He is the best player on both ends of the floor in the 2025 draft class,  and his physical profile matched with his skillset allows him to do just about anything on the basketball court, and he is one of the safest draft selections in recent memory.

DRAFT PROFILE

Flagg was identified as a top talent early in his career when he was playing for Montverde Academy, where he made a name for himself as a do-it-all forward who could impact the game in a variety of ways. With every school in the country seeking his signature, Flagg opted to play where the lights were brightest, and joined the Blue Devils' storied program.

Playing for Duke alongside other top-10 fancies in Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach, Flagg was still the standout every night, thriving under the pressure that comes with being named the best prospect, and taking his game to the next level on both ends of the floor.

He averaged 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks for the Blue Devils, and had countless highlight plays, including some vicious poster dunks that put his name on the lips of every basketball fan as the 2025 NBA Draft approached.

Although injury concerns threatened to derail his draft year and there was some intrigue around whether he would declare for the draft or head back to the Blue Devils in search of a National Championship, Flagg's destiny now seems to be in Dallas, with the Mavericks claiming the top overall pick.

STRENGTHS:

• All-around impact
• Three-level scoring
• Defensive versatility
• Secondary playmaking
• Consistent hustle

WEAKNESSES:

• Shooting consistency
• Occasional loose handle

It is hard to find a player that puts in as much effort on the floor than Flagg, who never stops scrapping and doing the extra things to get an advantage over his opponent. Being such a highly touted draft pick comes with a fair bit of extra attention from the opposition, but Flagg soaked up the physicality and added it to his own game, becoming a genuine threat in the low block.

Offensively, Flagg is a pure three-level scorer, with his size and athleticism a true strength that allows him to score in transition and get the opposition on the back foot, while his ability to knock down jumpers both out of a catch and off the dribble makes him an incredibly tough defensive assignment. He has improved out of sight as an isolation scorer, which was necessary given he looms as the face of a franchise in the coming years.

Although he is a wing, Flagg is a capable ball handler who can create in pick and roll situations, making him an ideal secondary playmaker at NBA level. He has shown capable vision and decision-making with ball in hand and is an excellent leader and communicator on the court, showing floor general tendencies to add another bow to his cap.

On the defensive end, Flagg offers immense versatility, and his size allows him to guard one through five at a high quality. The forward has excellent reflexes, which allows him to not only stay in front of the opposition, but also poke the ball free and contest shots at the rim tremendously, making him the definition of a two-way threat.

The forward is so highly regarded, he was given the opportunity to train against Team USA ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games, and impressed even the best players in the world with his unique skillset and tenacious attack on the ball.

There are not too many areas Flagg needs to improve, silencing any doubts around his shooting ability and ball handling during his time with the Blue Devils. Playing at such a high level for Duke also showed he is unafraid of any sort of pressure that comes with being the number-one pick, and has certainly emerged as a future star of the sport.

Flagg's size and skillset makes him a plug-and-play option when he hits the NBA, and he can play several positions when he hits the top level. He is also capable of contributing in nearly any role required to make it in the world's best competition, adding even further to his value as a prospect.

DRAFT PROJECTION: Pick 1

Flagg is the sort of prospect that teams build around in the sense that he has all the tools to be the centrepiece of an organisation for the next 15 years. He seems an extremely safe number-one selection in June, and it is certain that his name will be the first called out when the next crop of young guns enter the top level.