In the summer of 2023, Cooper Flag was reclassified at high school. This allowed him to graduate a year ago and qualified for the 2025 NBA Draft.
After graduating from high school in 2024, Flag attended Duke and played basketball in college. In his only season, Flag was famous and was Nasmith Player of the Year from 2024-25. There was speculation that the 18-year-old would return to Duke for his sophomore season. However, Flag chose to enter the 2025 NBA Draft, calling it “the best decision in hindsight.”
Cooper Flag is pleased with his decision to declare the 2025 NBA Draft
All NBA teams had the same goal: to capture aggg.@cooper_flagg Decorate the Cover of Sports Illustrated before the draft 🔥 https://t.co/kd4f2qxzgo pic.twitter.com/au39yrctyx
– Sports Illustrated (@sinow) June 18, 2025
Recently, Duke’s Cooper Flag was interviewed by Sports Illustrated’s Chris Manix. Flaggg was widely sought for the draft process and the decisions he made along the way. When the Blue Devils season ended, Flag said, “I wanted to come back next year (to Duke). The actions were more eloquent than words, and in this case it was true.
The talented forward said that if the same team returns next year, he would be “100%” back. That was not reality for Duke, and Flag chose to make the best decision for himself. He’s a consensus #1 pick and it’s stupid not to be drafted now. Flag was reclassified in high school to qualify for the 2025 draft. The rookie has been in a unique situation from 2025-26.
Dallas is not a team that is rebuilding exactly. They have many win talent on their roster, and Flag adds to it. He joins Klay Thompson, PJ Washington and Anthony Davis. The Mavericks have only been a year since their trip to the NBA Finals. Luka Doncic was a fundamental part of that roster. He was traded for the Lakers, but Dallas hit gold and landed the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Nico Harrison can reset the franchise and draft generational outlook with Cooper Flag.