'Cooper's just unique': Coach K has high hopes for Flagg's NBA future
Former Duke Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg looks poised to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and with the Dallas Mavericks winning the NBA Draft Lottery on Monday night — despite having a 1.8% chance to win — the 6-foot-9 forward is likely off to Northern Texas.
What is it that makes Flagg, the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2024, worthy of being the No. 1 pick? On Tuesday's edition of "The Herd," former Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski described what he loves about Flagg.
"Cooper's just unique," Krzyzewski said. "He's so strong. His legs are so strong. Athletically, he's gifted. When you add his athletic ability and his competitive attitude, you have a very special guy. He can really score the ball. I think he's a good shooter trying to become a really good shooter."
Flagg is coming off a spectacular freshman season with the Blue Devils, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game, while shooting 48.1/38.5/84.0. Flagg earned countless accolades: AP Player of the Year, Wooden Award Winner and ACC Player of the Year, among other honors. He then averaged 21.0 points per game across Duke's five NCAA Tournament games.
If indeed selected first, Flagg would be the sixth player from Duke to be taken with the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, Art Heyman (1963), Elton Brand (1999), Kyrie Irving (2011), Zion Williamson (2019) and Paolo Banchero (2022) being the other five.
Flagg would join a Mavericks team coming off a chaotic season that saw them trade superstar Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers for, most notably, Anthony Davis in February and later finish 10th in the Western Conference at 39-43. With the team at full force health wise, the Mavericks' 2025-26 starting five would potentially be Irving, Klay Thompson, Flagg, Davis and Daniel Gafford. Just one year ago, the Mavericks were in the NBA Finals.
Krzyzewski's last season coaching college basketball was the 2021-22 season, with assistant Jon Scheyer succeeding him. The Blue Devils reached the Final Four last season but lost in gut-wrenching fashion, blowing a six-point lead in the final minute against the Houston Cougars. Of course, Duke won five national titles under Krzyzewski, who's first in NCAA history with 1,202 career wins, 1,129 of them coming with the Blue Devils from the 1980-81 season to the 2021-22 season.
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Manning has reportedly inked deals or partnered with EA Sports, Red Bull, Uber and Vuori as he prepares for his first full season as Texas' starting quarterback. While Manning is the highest-valued NIL athlete in college sports, he doesn't take any money from Texas' NIL collective, the Houston Chronicle previously reported. 2. Miami (Fla.) QB Carson Beck ($4.3 million) Beck initially declared for the 2025 NFL Draft this offseason before surprisingly transferring to Miami. It was rumored that Beck received $3 to $4 million from Miami's NIL collective to make the move to South Florida, moving on from Georgia after he helped the Bulldogs win the SEC title in 2024. According to On3, Beck has inked 11 deals and partnerships over his college career, with Chipotle, Beats By Dre and Powerade headlining the notable brands. 3. Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith ($4.2 million) Following a standout freshman season, Smith shot up the board as one of the most valuable players in college sports. He was recently unveiled as a co-cover star athlete for "College Football 26," adding to the list of notable endorsement deals he has secured. He has reported deals with American Eagle, Lululemon, Red Bull and Nintendo, among others. Smith also agreed to a local car dealership deal — which appeared to gift him a new Mercedes — in May. Before he even steps on the court in Provo, Utah, Dybantsa is already one of the highest-valued players in college sports with reported deals with Nike and Red Bull. It was reported at the time of his commitment that he secured a deal worth around $7 million, giving one of the top prospects in the 2026 NBA Draft a significant payday. 5. LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier ($3.7 million) Nussmeier opted to forgo early entry into the 2025 NFL Draft, making him one of the top prospects in 2026. Set to enter his second season as LSU's starter, Nussmeier has multiple reported NIL deals and partnerships, including Powerade and EA Sports, among others. 6. South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers ($3.7 million) Sellers was one of the SEC's breakout stars in 2024, winning the conference's Offensive Freshman of the Year Award. He has reportedly secured NIL deals with Collegiate Legends and Cheez-It, and another strong year could help him continue to climb this list. 7. Florida QB DJ Lagway ($3.7 million) Similar to Sellers, Lagway was also a breakout star in 2024. He went 6-1 in the seven starts he made as a true freshman, helping Florida turn its season around. He has reportedly earned an NIL deal with Nintendo since the end of the season, while Gatorade has featured him in a commercial, as he agreed to a deal with the iconic brand before his freshman year. Lagway certainly seems to be a candidate to be No. 1 on this list next year if Manning declares for the draft. 8. Clemson QB Cade Klubnik ($3.4 million) Klubnik, who FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt recently named as his top quarterback for the 2025 season, is entering his third year as Clemson's starter. He led the Tigers to an ACC title last season and reportedly has existing NIL deals with Rhoback and ONIT, among others. 9. Penn State QB Drew Allar ($3.1 million) Allar turned down early entry into the 2025 NFL Draft despite speculation he could be an early-round pick. According to On3, Allar hasn't logged any new NIL deals since he helped Penn State reach the CFP last season. However, he reportedly has pre-existing deals with Bose and Frosted Flakes. 10. Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt ($3.1 million) Leavitt only has a pair of reported NIL endorsement deals, agreeing to partnerships with Jones Ford Verde Valley and Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers, but he also agreed to a deal with Arizona State's NIL collective in January, shutting down transfer rumors. 11. Michigan QB Bryce Underwood ($3 million) After dealing with struggles at quarterback during the 2024 season, Michigan made Underwood a reported offer through its NIL collective worth $10.5 million over four years to get him to flip his commitment from LSU to the Wolverines. Underwood, ranked as the top quarterback recruit in the Class of 2025, wound up flipping his commitment to remain in his home state of Michigan. 12. Texas Tech F JT Toppin ($2.8 million) Toppin has the highest NIL valuation among returning college basketball players this upcoming year. It was reported that Toppin is expected to earn $4 million in NIL after forgoing entry into the 2025 NBA Draft. Toppin won Big 12 Player of the Year and was named a second-team All-American after scoring 18.2 points per game in the 2024-25 season. 13. 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