Imagining Cooper Flagg on Every 2025 NBA Draft Lottery Team
The 2025 NBA draft lottery—colloquially known as the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes—takes place on Monday, May 12.
That's when the hoops world will finally find out where the uber-elite prospect will start out what could be a career for the ages.
That's high praise for an 18-year-old, but he's done everything to earn it. His magical one-and-done run at Duke impressed from all angles, resulting in him joining Zion Williamson, Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant as the only freshmen to win the Wooden Award as the most outstanding player in men's college basketball.
Flagg has true franchise-changing potential, so any team would be fortunate to land him. Since his skill set is already so well-rounded, he'd be a fit anywhere.
That's not to say his fit would be the same anywhere he landed, though. To help highlight that point, let's imagine how he'd look with all 13 teams that have a chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick in this year's lottery.
Brooklyn Nets (9 Percent Chance of Drafting No. 1)
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If Flagg isn't frightened by the blank-slate state of Brooklyn's rebuild, there could be plenty to like about landing with New York City's "other" franchise.
He might have a rising star head coach in Jordi Fernández, who impressed during his first season in Brooklyn. Flagg could also have some help shouldering the offensive load from Cam Johnson and Cam Thomas, provided the latter returns in restricted free agency. Neither is a high-end primary option, though, so Flagg should have ample opportunity to spread his wings and test the full limits of his arsenal.
And he might not have to hold sole-centerpiece status for long. Not when this star-gazing franchise could have upward of $50 million in cap space this offseason and a major market to sell, plus sufficient trade chips to put in play if needed.
In Brooklyn, Flagg could have a legitimate co-star or two before embarking on his first NBA training camp. But even if he doesn't, he could take comfort in the fact that help should be on the way sooner than later.
Charlotte Hornets (14 Percent Chance)
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Flagg could look right at home with the Hornets, and not only because his NBA journey would begin roughly 150 miles from where he played his college ball.
His play-finishing and off-ball scoring would be hand-in-glove fits with LaMelo Ball's prodigious passing. Flagg should have room to attack the basket, too, since the shooting range of Ball and Brandon Miller would demand defensive attention. On the defensive end, the length and bounce of Flagg and Mark Williams could cause serious chaos.
This is all assuming that Charlotte's leadership—which was not in place when Ball was drafted—opts not to veer into a rebuild with Flagg and Miller as the foundation. A hard reset probably wouldn't be considered at first, though, as a starting group featuring Ball, Miller, Flagg, Williams and Miles Bridges would not be short on talent.
Chicago Bulls (1.8 Percent Chance)
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The Bulls have an obvious need for Flagg. He is the do-it-all big wing that they've been searching for since spending the fourth overall pick of the 2020 draft—and another $90 million last summer—on Patrick Williams.
Does Flagg need what the Bulls have to offer, though? That's harder to say.
They could have a top-shelf table-setter finding him scoring chances, but only if they pay what it takes to re-sign Josh Giddey. They could have a space-creating center as well, but only if they don't trade away Nikola Vučević, who might covet a more competitive club.
With that said, Matas Buzelis could be a fascinating frontcourt partner for Flagg. Those two could pile up points and highlight finishes when getting out in the open floor with Coby White.
Depending on how this roster looks in September, Flagg could have both enough help to get acclimated early but also no major obstacles preventing him from becoming the franchise's focal point.
Dallas Mavericks (1.8 Percent Chance)
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An unlikely landing in Dallas could be both a blessing and a curse for Flagg.
On one hand, he'd immediately have a shot at contending if the Mavs could manage to keep Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis healthy. Any concerns about Flagg's creation and shot-making would be silenced by his relatively low place on the offensive pecking order, while his defensive playmaking could shine with Davis and Dereck Lively II anchoring things behind him.
On the other hand, Dallas' long-term outlook is murky at best. Many of this club's key contributors are either clinging to what's left of their primes or already past them, and there are a concerning number of future draft picks already out the door.
Flagg's offensive game could benefit from growing at its own pace, but how much help would this roster give him once it's fully materialized?
Houston Rockets (3.8% Chance)
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The idea of Flagg in Space City—by way of the Phoenix Suns' lottery pick—is nightmare fuel for the rest of the NBA. A young team that just willed its way to an ahead-of-schedule 52-win season on the strength of its defense, tenacity and competitive fire would add a blue-chip prospect who shines in those exact areas.
Houston would be littered with multi-positional stoppers, and it would have true chaos-creators in Flagg and Amen Thompson. Flagg's finishing would shine off deliveries from Alperen Şengün and Fred VanVleet (team option), while Flagg's own playmaking might perk up the potency of Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard and Cam Whitmore.
If there's a worry here, it's that Houston could task Flagg with becoming the half-court creator needed to get this group into championship contention. He might ace that role one day, but for now, there are still questions about his three-point consistency and ability to create something-out-of-nothing scoring chances.
With that said, if he's ready for such a role, the Rockets can clear the runway for him while also surrounding him with a stacked supporting cast.
New Orleans Pelicans (12.5 Percent Chance)
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In theory, New Orleans could be a fun landing spot for Flagg. A healthy Zion Williamson is one of the most talented players whom Flagg could slot alongside in the lottery, and the defensive potential of a forward rotation featuring all three of Flagg, Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones is enormous.
In reality, though, the constant questions surrounding Williamson's availability would be an unnecessary headache. Flagg's outside shooting would also have to reach a near-elite clip for this pairing to work. Dejounte Murray is coming off an Achilles tear, while CJ McCollum will be 34 before next season tips off, and his creation generates more scoring chances for himself than his teammates.
There are ways this could work, but so little has gone right for New Orleans as of late that it's virtually impossible to assume the best-case scenario would come to fruition. The Pelicans would obviously still take Flagg if they could get him, but they'd have to decide in a hurry whether he'd be teaming up with Williamson or leading their next chapter without the 2019 No. 1 overall pick.
Philadelphia 76ers (10.5 Percent Chance)
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The Sixers, who will lose their pick if it falls outside of the top six, would be a fascinating landing spot for Flagg.
Grant this group a clean bill of health, and there are reasons to believe it'd be right back in the championship race next season. With premier point-producers like Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George (if this past season was just an injury-ravaged anomaly), Flagg could develop at his own pace offensively while providing Philly's defense with more versatility, disruption and smart activity.
If the injury bug continues to torment this team, Door No. 2 might see the Sixers try to shop Embiid and George while resetting the roster around Flagg, Maxey, Jared McCain and Quentin Grimes (if they keep him in restricted free agency). That would put a lot more responsibility on Flagg's plate, though he should still find a comfort zone on offense thanks to playmaking prowess of Maxey and McCain.
Portland Trail Blazers (3.8 Percent Chance)
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Landing Flagg might kick off some arguably overdue changes in Portland. There'd be no reason to keep Jerami Grant around, as the Blazers would be looking to clear all obstacles in Flagg's path. Plus, they could relieve some of their congestion at the center spot to better align this roster's timeline and increase the exposure of 2024 No. 7 overall pick, Donovan Clingan.
Flagg's arrival would help further cement the defensive identity head coach Chauncey Billups has created. Tussling with the likes of Flagg, Clingan, Toumani Camara and Deni Avdija sounds exhausting for opponents.
Whether this group could score efficiently would be a different question, but maybe Flagg's finishing would perk up the playmaking of Scoot Henderson and Anfernee Simons. The Blazers would likely look to play full-throttle offense as often as possible, both to capitalize on their athleticism and to avoid what feel like inevitable hiccups in the half-court.
If Flagg continues to tighten his handle, though, he'd have the chance to steer this attack as a point-forward. There'd be viral potential any time he connects with gravity-defying swingman Shaedon Sharpe.
Sacramento Kings (0.8 Percent Chance)
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The Kings would be overjoyed to strike lottery gold. Granted, every team would feel great about getting Flagg, but Sacramento's roster might be stuck without him. Plus, if the Kings don't land a top-four pick—they have just a 3.8 percent chance of getting one—then they'll be sending their first-rounder to the Atlanta Hawks.
Flagg, on the other hand, might be less than thrilled to land in Sacramento.
While he wouldn't have too much on his plate offensively at first, he'd also be at risk of losing developmental touches to the likes of Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine. Plus, when the ball did find Flagg, the paint might be packed since DeRozan and Sabonis aren't high-volume three-point shooters.
There would at least be a decent amount of defensive versatility between Flagg, Keegan Murray and Keon Ellis, but they'd also have to cover a ton of ground to compensate for their more offensive-minded teammates. And as far as young cores go, this would be a pretty underwhelming one compared to what else Flagg might find at the lottery.
San Antonio Spurs (6.8 Percent Chance)
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While the Spurs don't have the best odds of winning this year's lottery, they are the one team with multiple cracks at it. They not only hold their own first-rounder, but they also have Atlanta's, which was left unprotected in the Hawks' ill-fated 2022 trade for Dejounte Murray.
If Flagg has a preferred landing spot in mind, this could easily be it. That's not solely due to the presence of Victor Wembanyama, although that obviously plays a big part. The possibilities for that frontcourt pairing are endless on both ends of the court. The next great championship pairing in the Alamo City could be complete.
"If you've got Cooper Flagg and Victor Wembanyama as your back line, that is Tim Duncan-[David Robinson] 2.0," Yahoo Sports' Tom Haberstroh said.
There'd be no right way for opponents to attack a Flagg-Wembanyama combo on defense, and they'd be just as hard to handle on offense, since both possess three-level-scoring potential. And that's before you even account for players like De'Aaron Fox, reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan, not to mention San Antonio's mini-mountain of trade assets and proven developmental program.
Toronto Raptors (7.5 Percent Chance)
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Flagg feels like a very Raptors-y kind of forward. He is big, long and athletic. He taps into those traits in a variety of ways defensively. And he's a tad unproven as both a shooter and a primary shot-creator.
That might make him an easy fit with a team that's used to rostering players like him (albeit ones lacking his ceiling). The worry is there'd be too much overlap and not enough shooting to make this work. Whenever any combination of Flagg, Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl manned the frontcourt, opponents would pack the paint and dare Toronto to beat them with long-range shots.
Flagg could really use a top-shelf table-setter to usher him along, which the Raptors don't have. Barnes, Barrett and Immanuel Quickley are all capable passers, but they aren't the kinds of creators who would simplify the game for Flagg or even justify taking touches away from him.
Raptors president Masai Ujiri has a sharp enough basketball mind to eventually build a formidable roster around Flagg, but his arrival north of the border might necessitate multiple trades to make this work long-term.
Utah Jazz (14 Percent Chance)
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Imagining Flagg in Salt Lake City is a little tricky, because it seems uncertain what kind of Jazz team he'd be joining.
Would his arrival accelerate the timeline enough where it makes sense trying to build a winner around him and Lauri Markkanen? Or would it convince the front office to shop Markkanen and seek out the kind of roster-building assets that might eventually raise a higher ceiling?
If Markkanen stays, Utah would have enviable length and defensive coverage along the frontcourt. Because both and he Flagg offer so much off-ball utility, their offensive fit would be seamless. The Jazz don't have the ideal caliber of passers you'd want around Flagg, but his distributing skills could free up Keyonte George more to look for his own shot and hopefully allow him to become a more efficient scorer.
If the Jazz shopped Markkanen to build around Flagg, it's hard to say how many players on the current roster would still be there when this group is aiming to compete at a high level. Collin Sexton might be a touch too old to keep, George and Isaiah Collier have struggled with inefficiency, and Taylor Hendricks and Cody Williams have shown next to nothing since arriving as top-10 picks.
Washington Wizards (14 Percent Chance)
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While the Wizards have managed a few decent pulls in recent drafts, their need for a centerpiece is glaring. If Flagg coveted spotlight time and experimentation opportunities, Washington might offer as much of both as any team in the lottery.
The defense could be downright dominant, too. Between Flagg, Bilal Couliably and 2024 No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr, the Wizards could fill their frontcourt with long, rangy, disruptive stoppers.
Washington would build its identity on the game's less glamorous end, then hope its defense created enough transition opportunities to make the most of its athleticism. The offense could be chaotic, though.
Jordan Poole is the closest thing that the Wizards have to a go-to scorer at the moment, and he's a career 42.2 percent shooter who averages fewer than two assists for every turnover. Speaking of helpers, Washington didn't have anyone average even five assists this past season.
While Flagg would obviously improve the function of Washington's offense, you'd want more reliable guard play to help usher along a prospect of this magnitude.
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