NBA Insider: 'Blazers Will Be Bad by Design' for Cooper Flagg, 'Loaded' 2025 Draft

Duke incoming freshman Cooper Flagg was already pegged as the top prospect in the 2025 NBA draft, but his stock is even higher after his performance with the USA Select Team last week.

The 17-year-old held his own while practicing against a Team USA squad that included stars like LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant head of the Paris Olympics. ESPN's Zach Lowe reported that "If excitement for Flagg was at a 10 out of 10 last month, his performance on the USA Select Team elevated it to 14 out of 10."

Flagg told B/R in an interview last week that he enjoyed the opportunity to share the floor with some of the best players in the league.

"I was just trying to learn. I was on the court just trying to take bits and pieces from the other players and see what they did, how they did it, how they executed certain things and coverages," he said. "I think it was just a really great experience for me and I'm blessed that I had the opportunity to just be on the court and compete and learn at the same time."

The prospect of adding Flagg already has teams prepared to tank the 2024-25 season. Lowe noted that the Portland Trail Blazers "will be bad by design ahead of a loaded 2025 draft" in hopes of having a shot at landing Flagg.

The future Blue Devil was named Gatorade Male Athlete of the Year at the ESPYs last week. During his senior season, he led Montverde Academy to a perfect 34-0 record and averaged 16.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.7 blocks per game.

The race for Flagg will be one of the most interesting storylines of the 2024-25 season, as he appears to be a game-changing talent who is destined for stardom.