Cooper Flagg Declares for 2025 NBA Draft in Hype Video After 1 Season at Duke

Duke star Cooper Flagg confirmed the obvious and announced he's leaving the school after one season and declaring for the 2025 NBA draft.

Many assumed the 6'9" forward would be a one-and-done well before he ever debuted for the Blue Devils, and his performance in 2024-25 reinforced the fact he's ready to make the jump.

Flagg averaged 19.2 points on 48.1 percent shooting, including 38.5 percent on threes, along with 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. He set an ACC freshman record when he scored 42 points in Duke's 86-78 win over Notre Dame on Jan. 11.

Not surprisingly, Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman projected Flagg to go first overall in his most recent mock draft.

"Despite a short stretch in the second half when he couldn't get some shots and finishes to fall, his expanding scoring versatility was on full display throughout the game," Wasserman wrote. "He drilled three threes, giving him 52 makes for the season. He drove and shook with his improved handle, and he showed off his physicality and skill from the post.

"Aside from exceeding expectations this year with his evolving creation and shotmaking, Flagg greatly impacted games with his passing and defensive playmaking as well. He wound up leading the nation in box plus-minus at 17-18 years old."

The summer of 2024 offered compelling evidence Flagg can hit the ground running in the NBA, too.

The 18-year-old was picked for Team USA's select team to train against the senior squad ahead of the Summer Olympics in Paris. While those practices weren't a full simulation of an NBA game, he was holding his own against the league's best.

"He's a special young man," said Orlando Magic and select team coach Jamahl Mosley, per NBA.com's Shaun Powell. "His talent level, his basketball IQ, his level of toughness, not afraid of those moments, protect the rim, make the right play, make the right read. He had all that."

Flagg isn't a perfect prospect. Being a sub-40 percent three-point shooter hints at how he could struggle there out of the gate. ESPN's Jeremy Woo also spoke with a scout who cited how "the late-clock stuff isn't necessarily his gift," a reflection of his occasional inability to find his own shot when the offense is breaking down.

Barring an unforeseen development, though, Flagg is all but guaranteed to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025, and you can expect massive celebrations from the fanbase of whichever team wins the draft lottery.