Despite all the hype that has surrounded him as we get closer to the 2025 NBA Draft, Duke Blue Devils star forward Cooper Flagg may forgo jumping to the league this season. Flagg recently hinted that he could remain in college for a second season, a decision that would shock many around the basketball world.
“Sh—, I want to come back next year,” said Flagg, in a statement that shocked the social media world.
“I still feel like a kid,” he later answered when asked if he feels more like a college player or a professional athlete. “This is the only way I’ve ever known college. That’s how I see it. I really wouldn’t know how kids felt before, and if this feels different, if this feels more like being a professional. I mean, it’s the same thing for kids in high school, too, getting paid a lot of money. I don’t know. I feel pretty normal.”media
Flagg has been great so far this season for Duke and leads them in multiple statistics categories. The true freshman currently averages 19.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game.
Duke holds a record of 21-2 and sits in first place within the ACC Conference. Much of this has to do with the play of Flagg, so a return to campus next year would drastically change how the Blue Devils built their roster.
Flagg has been the consensus favorite to be selected No. 1 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. Many NBA scouts love his game and there has already been some movement by teams to tank for better odds to land the first overall draft pick.
“I always wanted to play in college at the highest level and compete for a national championship,” the 18-year-old also proclaimed in an otherwise reserved sit-down. “That sort of thing is what I dreamed about.”
If Flagg were to stay in college for an additional season, it would change the outcome of the draft entirely. Teams would shift course and look toward the 2026 NBA Draft instead, even with the strong class coming in this year.
While it seems unlikely that he would pass up a chance to play in the NBA this year and stay at Duke for his sophomore season, weirder things have happened before. Flagg is just 18 years old so he has plenty of time to enter the NBA down the line.