After the Duke Blue Devils suddenly crumbled in their Final Four match against the Houston Cougars, suffering a 70-67 setback, all eyes turned to Cooper Flagg. With the talented forward likely to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft, many folks were curious when he’d disclose what his future intentions are.
In his first—and possibly last—season with Duke, Flagg lived up to the hype by leading the team to the 2025 NCAA Tournament Final Four. But Flagg didn’t exactly sound like he was set on leaving the Blue Devils when he was recently questioned about the draft.
Flagg remarked, “I think kind of what you said, just evaluating, you know, reflecting,” in reference to his draft choice. It was an amazing year. I got to know many amazing folks. I’ve formed a ton of wonderful relationships that will last the rest of my life, and I believe it’s time for me to take stock. Take a few days, a week, or a month, you know. For me, whatever it is. Consult my parents, consult the coaches, and simply determine what is best for me.
At this point, Flagg is simply taking his time before deciding what’s next for him, but that doesn’t mean he can’t hear the media conjecture about his decision. In response to a question about it, Flagg stated that he is determined to ignore it as much as possible and that it is just a part of his job.
“It’s just part of it,” expressed Flagg. “It’s part of the media. It’s a part of human nature; people say both positive and negative things. For me, it’s about taking things day by day, being true to who I am, trying to be modest, and not really listening to what other people have to say.”
In the 2024–25 season, Flagg shot 48.1% from the floor and averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 rebounds per game while playing for Duke. Fans around the world will undoubtedly be watching him closely as he continues to consider his options in hopes of hearing about his possible declaration for the 2025 NBA draft.
