Celtics GM Sends Clear Message After Cooper Flagg News
Former Duke star Cooper Flagg is unanimously considered to be the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft next month. The team that won the lottery turned out to be the Dallas Mavericks. Pending any trades, they will pick him.
However, that won't stop teams from talking to him before he gets drafted. Even if the odds aren't high that the Mavericks will pass on Flagg, every NBA team can talk to him before Draft Night.
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That includes the Boston Celtics. On Friday, it was reported that the Celtics chatted with Flagg ahead of the draft, despite being well out of the lottery (via Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor).
Former Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2)Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
The Celtics have no chance of drafting Flagg pending any surprise trades in the coming weeks, but that didn't stop them from conversing with him. During his end of season press conference, Celtics' President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens briefly addressed the news of his team meeting with Flagg.
"The people we know we can't get in to work out are the people we talk to at the combine, or else we might never talk to them," he said.
Flagg is a Maine native who grew up rooting for the Celtics and went on public record saying Jayson Tatum is his favorite NBA player. His ties to New England, on top of his talent, would make him appealing for the Celtics to chat with.
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Even if the Celtics won't draft him this June, that doesn't rule out that he could join the team a few years down the line, whether via trade or free agency. Some NBA stars in the past have gone back home to play for their hometown teams, like Dwyane Wade and Dwight Howard.
Related: Brad Stevens Announces Jaylen Brown News After Celtics' Loss to Knicks
Related: Celtics' Brad Stevens Announces Kristaps Porzingis Move on Monday
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