Cooper Flagg Is Betting Favorite For Top Pick of 2025 NBA Draft
Cooper Flagg has made it official, as the 6-foot-8 high school forward is reclassifying and intends on leaving high school in 2024. Consequently, BetUS has Flagg as the favorite to be selected with the No. 1 pick of the 2025 NBA Draft.
Flagg is listed at -140 odds to go off the board with the top pick in 2025, and -300 odds to commit to the Duke Blue Devils for the 2024 season.
According to On3, Flagg is the highest-rated high school prospect of the 2024 College Basketball class. On3 adds that Flagg owns an impressive 99.66 player rating, with a projected NIL value of $826,000. In comparison, the No. 2 prospect, Dylan Harper, has a 99.41 player rating and an estimated NIL value of $572,000.
Additionally, the crystal ball for Flagg indicates that he has a 99 percent chance of committing to Duke. That being said, the odds suggest that Flagg’s commitment to Duke is not as much of a sure thing. At -300 odds, Flagg’s odds of signing with Duke carry an implied probability of 75 percent.
That is not 99 percent. So, if not Duke, where could Flagg end up committing? According to BetUS, the NBA G League is the most likely landing spot. Currently, bettors can get +250 odds on Flagg playing in the G League in 2024. If not Duke or the G League, Flagg has +800 odds of committing to the Michigan State Spartans.
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History Being Made In Maine
Flagg would be the first player from Maine to go first overall in the NBA Draft. In fact, he would be the first player out of Maine to be drafted in the first two rounds. In 1984, the Dallas Mavericks selected Jeff Cross in the third round which, according to Real GM, is the highest-selected player from Maine in NBA history.
Maine is not a hotbed for NBA talent, but Flagg has a chance to put the state in the spotlight on the national stage. The hype is well-deserved for the Nokomis youngster, who was a member of the 2022 USA Basketball Men’s U17 National Team.
Despite being one of the youngest players in the event, Flagg was the most productive on both ends of the floor. He averaged 9.3 points, 10 rebounds, 2.4 steals, and 2.9 blocks per game. As a result of his outstanding form, Flagg was named the youngest winner of the USA Basketball’s Male Athlete of the Year award since 1980.
Cooper Flagg just RECLASSED to 2024 👀 pic.twitter.com/IX6wUALpFT
— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms) August 11, 2023
Furthermore, Flagg became the first freshman to win Gatorade Maine Boys Basketball Player of the Year honors. In the 2021-22 season, the two-way star scored 20.5 points, 10 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 3.7 steals, and 3.7 blocks per game. Flagg’s effort contributed to a 21-1 season and Class A State Championship for Nokomis.
Most recently, in June, Flagg captured MVP of the National Basketball Players Association Top 100 Camp in Orlando, Florida. Flagg’s accolades are piling up fast, and he hasn’t even committed to a college program yet.
With Wembanyama on the San Antonio Spurs, Flagg is next in line to be the most hyped NBA prospect. By no means does this equate to Flagg developing into a Hall of Fame player. However, NBA scouts believe that both players will carve out elite careers at the professional level.
Flagg does not have the same size as Victor Wembanyama. As a 16-year-old, there is time for him to grow, but he’s never touching Wemby’s 7-foot-5 frame. Flagg plays a similar game in the sense that he can take over contests with his offensive or defensive prowess.
Like Wembanyama, Flagg has the skill level to make opponents frustrated on both ends of the floor, including having the athleticism to guard any position. He moves well on and off the ball, with fluid movement. Additionally, Flagg has tremendous court vision, can shoot, has a nice touch around the rim, and can rebound.
Cooper Flagg is just on another level 🔥 pic.twitter.com/t9Yuoanvgk
— Ryan Lommen (@TheDukeNation) August 10, 2023
When a high school basketball player has a rating of 99.66, any flaws are fairly nitpicky. Flagg’s decision to reclassify is a smart one. This allows Flagg to avoid Cameron Boozer and AJ Dybantsa in the NBA Draft.
Boozer is projected to go No. 1 in the 2026 NBA Draft, and then Dybantsa the following year. Barring an injury or serious concern, Flagg should be the first player off the board in 2025.
Duke Is Flagg’s Dream School
If Flagg’s comments from last year are any indication, the prized prospect has already made up his mind. In 2022, Flagg talked about what it meant to receive a scholarship offer from Duke:
“Growing up, Duke was always my dream school. I always looked up to all the Duke players, watched all their games and stuff like that. I could see myself fitting in well with their play style. They have a lot of versatile guys, so I think I’d fit in pretty well.”
Duke’s head basketball coach, Jon Scheyer, has to like what he is hearing from Flagg. Scheyer has reportedly stayed in touch with Flagg and his family. It is looking good for Duke, but Flagg may ultimately decide that the G League is the best decision for him.
In any event, -300 could be the best odds that you will ever get on Flagg committing to Duke.
