At just 18 years old, Duke star Cooper Flagg is one of the best draft prospects we have seen in recent years. As the ACC Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year, Flagg is projected to be the No.1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
With the Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets and Utah Jazz separating themselves as the three teams with the best lottery odds, let’s look into how Flagg would fit with each of those NBA squads.
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1. Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets have been in NBA purgatory for years, they consistently find themselves at the bottom of the league, but can’t seem to land the first pick in a single draft. If they landed the top pick in this draft however, Flagg’s fit would be a match made in heaven.
A trio of Flagg, LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller could result in one of the most exciting offenses in the NBA. While Miles Bridges is currently the starter at power forward, moving him to the small forward and putting Flagg at PF would complete a stacked starting unit.
Their starting five would likely be Ball, Miller, Bridges and Flagg with Mark Williams at the center position. Injuries and defensive consistency would be weaknesses for them, but a healthy Charlotte squad with Flagg as the PF would be well on their way to becoming the next Lob City.
2. Washington Wizards
Much like the Hornets, the Wizards have been at the bottom of the standings for years but they have a very promising young core. Rookies Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George have all shown great development alongside second-year guard Bilal Coulibaly. Putting Flagg at the PF would allow him to clamp down on NBA offenses alongside Sarr.
Offensively, the young Wizards could be the fastest team in the league, using their length and athleticism to push the pace in transition to create easy looks. Once again similar to Charlotte, this team would be deadly attacking the rim.
With shot-creating veterans like Jordan Poole and Khris Middleton at the helm, the Wizards have the chance to form a squad that may make a playoff push under the right circumstances.
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3. Utah Jazz
Flagg’s fit with the Utah Jazz wouldn’t necessarily be a bad one, they just don’t seem to have a high-level prospect or star to pair him with. Keyonte George jumps out as the only young player on the roster that would bring much excitement or production alongside Flagg.
The Jazz are most likely to finish this season with the league’s worst record, but their trade outlooks this summer are mediocre at best and they lack a cohesive unit that would have high playoff chances, even with Flagg on the floor.
Flagg would be a good fit anywhere and his best fit among the entire league might be the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs likely won’t land the top pick, but the combination of Flagg with Victor Wembanyama in the frontcourt would instantly put the Spurs in the playoff conversation.
There’s always a slight chance that Flagg returns to Duke for a second season, but assuming that he decides otherwise and enters the draft, every GM in the league will be making phone calls.
James Parker is an NBA writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
