Now through June 2025, writers across the globe will eagerly anticipate an exciting upcoming draft class headlined by Duke forward Cooper Flagg, alongside other top talents. Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN recently paired to provide an early look at the top 100 prospects before the college season tips off (Insider link).
Flagg ranked first, but Rutgers guards Ace Bailey (No. 2) and Dylan Harper (No. 3) aren’t far behind. Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe (No. 4) and France’s Nolan Traore (No. 5) remain among the top options as well, while Duke’s Kon Knueppel (No. 6) is an early riser after an impressive offseason and preseason.
UNC’s Drake Powell, Duke’s Khaman Maluach, Spanish guard Hugo Gonzalez and UConn’s Liam McNeeley round out the remainder of the top 10.
Collin Murray-Boyles is the draft’s highest-ranked returner after making the decision to come back to South Carolina, with the ESPN duo ranking him at 12.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- The top five of Sam Vecenie’s recent mock draft for The Athletic matches ESPN’s big board to a tee, with Brooklyn being slated to be the ones to land Flagg’s services in June’s draft. However, Vecenie’s mock draft deviates from there, with Illinois’ Kasparas Jakucionis coming off the board at No. 6 due to his ball and scoring skills. Vecenie mocks Georgia’s Asa Newell to the Hornets at No. 7 and Ratiopharm Ulm’s Ben Saraf at No. 8 to the Raptors, while ESPN has those players at No. 31 and No. 16, respectively.
- With such a talented draft class on deck, The Athletic’s John Hollinger suspects teams will return to tanking in 2024/25. While some teams greatly underperformed in 2023/24, as in any year, there wasn’t as much incentive to lose since there wasn’t a consensus top pick like in next year’s draft. Hollinger likens the 2025 class to the 2018 class that produced the likes of Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Brunson and Trae Young in terms of the depth of talent. Hollinger’s story addresses this, but I’d contend that while teams may be blown away by the talent of the 2025 class, the Hawks had a better record than nine teams but still landed the No. 1 overall pick. Meanwhile, the Pistons had their worst season in franchise history but didn’t pick until No. 5.
- The Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s G League affiliate, executed a six-team trade on Wednesday, per the team (Twitter link). Several picks swapped hands, but for simplicity’s sake, we’ll focus on the player rights that were moved. The Vipers acquired the returning player rights to Jermaine Samuels, who is currently in camp with the Rockets. The Valley Suns acquired Cassius Stanley‘s rights, the Indiana Mad Ants (Pacers) received Dakota Mathias‘s rights, the Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies) got both Malachi Smith and Devin Cannady‘s rights, the Mexico City Capitanes obtained Loudon Love, and Gary Clark‘s rights were re-routed to the Wisconsin Herd (Bucks). Mathias was already signed and waived by the Pacers, so this is an indication he’ll play for the Mad Ants this season as an affiliate player. It remains to be seen whether Stanley, Smith, Cannady or Clark will sign camp deals to be later waived and set up as affiliates. The Capitanes aren’t an NBA team’s direct affiliate, so while Love could still sign anywhere as an NBA free agent, his rights being moved aren’t directly correlated with him potentially being an affiliate player.
Teams really need to focus on losing this year
Let me be the first to call Cooper Flagg a bust. I made my living dealing with these guys for over 20 years.
Cooper Flagg is absolutely NOT a “franchise” player. He doesn’t have a way to score the basketball at a high-level. He doesn’t even have a position in the “new” NBA. Watch him run down the floor and you will quickly realize he cannot guard a 3, or put the ball on the floor against a 3. He doesn’t have a post game. He can shoot the 3, but that ain’t what he does. He is a guy who has a highlight reel of dunks over bad competition.
The most OVERHYPED prospect in at least 20 years.
In the “new” NBA, if you are not the guy who has the ball in his hands, making all the decisions (Luka, LeBron, Jokic), then you are most likely some form of a 3 and D guy. You can’t put the ball in his hands like that. He doesn’t have ANY go-to moves to score the ball. Zion is automatic 5-feet from the bucket. Cooper is not that, nor a high-level rebounder. He is not a switchable defender. The highlight reel dunks and blocks are not available in college, let alone the NBA.
Ace Bailey is the best American prospect. Brandon Miller shooting stroke with an ability to put the ball on the floor at 6’10. He also has a body that hasn’t developed yet.
Flagg struggled in the McDonald’s game. Very average in Duke scrimmage. He has no go-to moves to score other than transition dunks.
Cooper Flagg = Mason Plumlee
lmao i would bet thousands of dollars that Flagg has a better career than Mason f-king plumlee. Is crack popular where you’re from?
Mason Plumlee is where his offensive skill set is. Flagg will take some 3-point shots. Plumlee is the superior defensive player. By far!
Crack is popular all over the United States. Have you actually seen Flagg play???
Do you notice how the countless Cooper Flagg articles never give you a breakdown of his game??? It’s all dunks. Just watch him run up and down floor, and you tell me if you see a franchise NBA player. Elite dunker at the high school level. Watch the McDonald’s Game and you tell me what you see.
I will absolutely take that bet!!!
Mason Plumlee? That just makes no sense besides the fact they are White guys from Duke.
He’s more of a Herb Jones, Rudy Gay, Chet Holmgren mixture.
Most overhyped? Ben Simmons, Ayton, Fultz, and Andrew Wiggins already have solidified that position.
Will Flagg ever be a Top 3 player in the league? I wouldn’t bet on it. He will be a very good player.
It’s going to be hard for teams to pass up on his teammate Maluch. His potential may make him the first pick.
You mention McDonald’s All American game but nothing about the team USA scrimmage. Where every former and current NBA player said he’s ready now.
It’s exciting to see TWO kids from New England as the top US NBA prospects in the world. Flagg from Maine and Dybantsa from Mass!! Been following the Flagg brothers since 8th grade year in Maine. One thing is for sure they are winners!
With how early Basketball players get recognized now almost everyone will end up being overhyped or underhyped. Lebron and Wemby’s don’t come around often!
@Rebillder – Watch Paolo Banchero, a Duke product, play. You will see a guy with a body, who can score the basketball on all levels. You will also see a guy who can rebound, and can also have the ball put in his hands at times to make all the decisions. This is not Cooper Flagg. The USA Scrimmage all he did was get a dunk. Those dunks won’t be available in college, and definitely not the NBA.
Dybantsa??? I can write the same things about AJ Dybantsa that I write about Cooper Flagg. Same holes in his game. Same library of highlight reel dunks.
Pay attention – Cooper doesn’t have a go-to way to score.
Null and void you clearly didn’t watch the Team USA game. He rebounds in traffic, handled the ball well up the court, a lot of great defense contesting shots. Also on offense I don’t know if he had any dunks. He hit a corner three, a put back, Jrue Holliday in the post, and a three with Anthony Davis covering him. Any highlight reel or all star game is going to be filled with these guys dunking all over the place. Flagg has high level skills all over the court with next level shot blocking and winning. He has constantly won in AAU, High School, Prep ball, and international play as the teams best player. Future MVP? I don’t see that in him. All star level player on a very good team is where I see his ceiling. I agree the Durant, Wemby, and Lebron esq hype is overblown. But he will be a valuable NBA player worth a top 5 pick.
The United States is continuing to struggle in a massive way at developing young basketball talent. The kids coming through now just are not that good.
He’s 17 years old bro, I think he can improve. Stretch four everyone is looking for these days. Or crazy long 3, we’ll see, he’s 17. Can stroke it and a crazy good athlete, he’ll be OK. He looked ok against team USA in scrimmages. Didn’t look like those guys were going through the motions either for the most part. I agree with your assessment on kids State side far as early development same age around the world though. In all honesty….how many actual franchise players in the league? Pretty big difference between say LaMelo or Steph. Their both franchise players or atleast getting paid like one. Maybe he doesn’t have to be. Might get paired with some other young stud and go the Tatum Brown route. I think he’s worth a risk.
17 years old and look at his body. Where does Cooper Flagg’s body improve other than get stronger. Take a look at Ace Bailey, and his body, and you will see a kid who is only scratching the surface. Much of Flagg’s highlight reel dunks have come because he can overwhelm smaller opponents. Easily done because he always plays on stacked teams. He will eventually get a match-up he can exploit. Cooper Flagg cannot “stroke it”. That is the problem. He ain’t a volume shooter/scorer like that. How can you be the #1 pick then?? He doesn’t have a post game. How is he gonna score inside??? Take away his physical advantages and you will see a player who will struggle. He is not prepared to be the #1 scoring option that Duke needs him to be this year.
Again…go watch the scrimmages against team USA man.