After Duke's shocking Final Four loss to Houston two weeks ago, Cooper Flagg has been mostly quiet about his future, but did not dispel rumors that he might return to college for one more crack at an NCAA Championship, rather than declare early for the 2025 NBA Draft.
It made sense, that Flagg might be reconsidering the decision to turn pro after one college season. Especially with Duke having a loaded team for 2025-26, he would have an even better chance at getting a championship, rather than being a rookie on a struggling NBA team.
The NIL money to return to Duke likely would have ranged around $3-4 million, more than enough to entice any college player, especially an 18-year-old, to put off the pros for another year as the big dog on campus.
On Monday, all of that changed, as an official announcement from Duke University confirmed that Cooper Flagg was entering the NBA Draft.
Why this is huge news for the Jazz
Utah Jazz fans breathed a collective sigh of relief, knowing they still had a shot at their franchise player. And now all eyes turn to May 12, 2025, when the Draft Lottery is held, and the lottery order will be determined.
Utah has as good a chance as anyone to acquire Flagg and the expectations that come with a generational talent. Though he could prove to be a disappointment, nobody will want to hear that for now. The promise of a talented game-changer joining the roster can turn the mindset around for not only the players, coaches, and front office but also the fanbase in general.
So now the focus turns to IF the Utah Jazz will actually get the #1 pick? That will be the next big announcement, but we'll have to wait a few weeks for that one.
Flagg may not be Victor Wembanyama, but he is the best prospect in this draft, by most accounts. He will start immediately for whoever drafts him.
And make no mistake, he will go first overall; the only question remaining is to which team? Any of the 14 lottery teams theoretically have a chance at making a franchise-altering pick, and the last time the worst team won the lottery was 2018 (Phoenix). Since the lottery odds were altered starting with the 2019 NBA Draft, the worst team record-wise has yet to acquire the top pick.
For Utah Jazz fans, they hope and pray they will get lottery lucky for the first time in the Utah era, and get that #1 pick, and finally capture Cooper Flagg.