Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg, the long-presumed No. 1 overall pick, announced Monday that he will declare for the NBA Draft.
Flagg, 18, averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Blue Devils in his freshman season, helping lead the team to a Final Four appearance.
“It was an incredible year, probably the best year of my life,” Flagg said in a video posted to Instagram. “I have so much gratitude. I feel so blessed for all the opportunities that I was given. Duke has always been a dream for me, but I’m excited to announce that I’ll be entering my name into the 2025 NBA Draft. Today’s just the beginning, but I have the brotherhood with me for life.”
Flagg was a highly touted prospect before his lone year at Duke, finishing his high school career in 2024 as the consensus top recruit of his class. That summer, Flagg was also invited to be a part of the USA Select Team, practicing against the men’s national basketball team ahead of the Paris Olympics.
In addition to helping lead the Blue Devils to the Final Four, Flagg won the John R. Wooden Award for college basketball’s most outstanding player, becoming only the fourth freshman to ever do so.
Flagg previously hinted at a possible return to Duke for another season, telling The Athletic in February, “I want to come back next year. I still feel like a kid. This is the only way I’ve ever known college.”
Instead, Flagg will head to the NBA.
The league’s draft is scheduled for June 25, when most expect Flagg to be selected first overall. The three teams with the best odds to win the draft lottery and select Flagg are the Utah Jazz, the Washington Wizards and the Charlotte Hornets, with each having a 14% chance of winning the first pick.
